Rabbi Bruce's Reflections on Life

  Dear Friends, As we read the weekly portion, "Terumah" we learn about one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the history of the Jewish people.  Our ancestors were contributing to the building of the portable Tabernacle. In an article by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks called "The Architecture of Holiness" He explores trying to find ways to build a space where G-d resides. He writes, "So what  difference could it make whether the Tabernacle was large or small? Either way, it was a symbol, a focus, of the Divine presence that is everywhere, wherever human beings open their heart to G-d..  Its dimensions should not matter." I hope that as we create sacred space, we will remember that the smallest good deed which we do will help bring the Divine into our world.  When we read the extra Torah reading last week for Shabbat Shekalim, it was a reminder that it is what we give, however small or large, that helps us add to the holiness of our world. As we approac...

 Dear Friends, As we celebrate President's Day today, I hope that we will all join together and offer prayers for former President Jimmy Carter. Whether we agree or disagree with his politics as president, I think we can all pay tribute to an individual who together with his wife, Rosalynn, have made a tremendous difference. in our world. If we believe in the Jewish value of "tikkun olam" (repairing the world), Jimmy and Rosalynn, through the Carter Center, have made a significant contribution to our world. This quote from the website of the Carter Center is a reminder to all of us of the importance of helping to make this world a better place. “We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes — and we must.” Jimmy Carter, Nobel Lecture As a visiting scholar at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, I have been privileged to do work as part of Black Jewish R...

 Dear Friends, On this Shabbat when we read the 10 Commandments, I wanted to share something that is very special to me. (See below)  My father copied them down when we visited the Baseball Hall of Fame when I was 10 years old.  He took them to the railroad office of the Indiana Harbor Belt where he worked and typed them with the following font.  I have adapted them to be more egalitarian and continue to find them to be meaningful. I hope that perhaps you will pass them along and let people know that a man named Harry Aft who worked for the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad taught these diligently to his son.  And...by the way, while we were there I got to pitch from the mound at Doubleday Field, where they play the annual Hall of Fame baseball game.  I affectionately remember my mother, Muriel Aft filming us playing catch from the dugout with an old 8 millimeter camera.  I treasure the memories of two of my biggest fans. Shabbat Shalom,...

  Dear Friends, As we celebrate Tu B'shevat on Sunday night and Monday I thought you would like to watch this video. https://youtu.be/hRfV7XrGfBo   What makes this year different is that we also read from the Song of the Sea in the Torah reading on this Shabbat.  Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of Song, gives us the opportunity to remember the crossing of the Sea of Reeds or Red Sea.  We commemorate the miracle of the sea parting and our ancestors crossing through safely. As I reflect upon this portion in today's world, I think about how we need to sing a new song of hope.  So many of us get entangled in the "weeds" of our lives and at times,  almost drown in despair. Miriam reminds us to sing of hope and to seek ways to  journey forward. One of my favorite songs is "Reason to Believe" by Rod Stewart.  Please note the lyrics below.  The song reminds us that if we can only leave the past behind (note the lyrics in red and bold), we can find a ...