Rabbi Bruce's Reflections on Life

  Dear Friends, Do you remember when one would use the phrase that something was a scream and it was meant to be positive? I was leading a workshop on dealing with antisemitism and one of the students asked about how they could deal with the scream in their hearts.  They were referring to the anxiety that they and perhaps all of us feel in the world in which we are living. As we read about the 10 Plagues, we are reminded of our ancestors who lived in the midst of a world where they were enslaved not only to bondage but to the scream of oppression.  We are plagued by many challenges but must not succumb to depression and under involvement or indifference.  We must work for change and liberate our world from hopelessness and inspire those with whom we have contact to join us in building a brighter future. We respond by telling the story in every generation that we are to view ourselves as if we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.  We tell the story at our P...

  Dear Friends, As you will see, Jan. 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.  We are taught that those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it. ( George Santayana) Irene Weiss' story is very compelling and is a tribute to her courage and the strength of the human spirit. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Bruce Aft International Holocaust Remembrance Day

  Dear Friends, In this week's Torah reading, Moses raises the following question with G-d.    "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? "     And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you.  (Exodus 3:11) I think we often suffer from imposter syndrome and wonder whether we are worthy  of being chosen to provide leadership. As we continue to mark the new year of 2023, I hope that each of us reading this will commit to addressing some cause that is of importance to us.  We are taught in Pirke Avot, the Teachings of Our Sages 2:16: "He [ Rabbi Tarfon]  used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it." (Sefaria translation) I hope that we all realize that when we pursue something meaningful that the spirit of the Divine may be motivating us to make a difference.  We are not alone in our hopes for a better...

 Dear Friends, Today it is personal for me. I realized the power of ritual to make a difference in my life. We have been blessed to take the post retirement trip that my wife and I had been planning and recently returned from Hawaii.  The trip had been postponed because of covid. As we stood on Waikiki Beach watching the sunset (see picture below),  I realized that I could now mark a separation between being a full time congregational rabbi to the next chapter of our lives.  As I thought about the sunset and watched its beauty as it set over the horizon, I was able to see the holiness in the relationships that I had with so many wonderful people throughout the years.  As I looked out over the horizon I realized that so many horizons were broadened, so many people were inspired, I learned so much, and finally appreciated the beauty and honor of having served. On the trip, we were blessed to see a beautiful rainbow that made a complete arch and yeah...