One of the beautiful things about our tradition is that every aspect of our lives is touched by Judaism.  The halachik system or Jewish Law, affects what we do from the time we wake in the morning until we go to sleep at night, and there are even guidelines about how y...

This past weekend we commemorated the year anniversary of the tragic shooting that took place at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.  Its gives us pause, as it did on the High Holidays when I spoke about it from the Bima, to reflect on our response to anti-semitism....

The Festival, that’s what the rabbis call Sukkot. Of all the Holidays, it is the one most associated with joy. After the intense ten-day period of repentance culminating in Yom Kippur, we need a holiday where we can just experience some happiness. 

Sukkot is o...

Maggie Anton will be visiting the Midbar Kodesh Temple book club on November 17

to discuss her book “Fifty Shades of Talmud: What the First Rabbis Had to Say About You-Know-What”, the author’s first foray into non-fiction, and there’s still plenty of time to read the bo...

Jerusalem (Jeri) Weiss, daughter to Midbar Kodesh Temple members Devra and Dr. Avi Weiss, will be called to the Torah in October. Jeri will be joined in celebration by her brother Shai, her Grandparents Patty Weiss and Rabbi Loel Weiss, and family and friends from as f...

This coming Shabbat is the first Shabbat of the year.  The Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is referred to as Shabbat Shuva, The Shabbat of Return.  We read a special haftarah, or prophetic reading which is a combination of the words of Hosea and...

On behalf of the clergy and staff of Midbar Kodesh Temple, I want to wish everyone a Shana Tova Um’tukah. 

As we approach the new year, I know many of you will need to take off work to celebrate the holidays. Taking off time from work to attend services and enjoy festiv...

It’s time!! I cannot remember the High Holidays being so late.  Each year, I like to remind everyone of the appropriate greetings for the New Year, along with the meaning of the greetings. Each holiday offers a different greeting, and it can be confusing.  I would like...

The Yom Kippur war in Israel began on October 6, 1973 on Yom Kippur day.  It was a watershed moment in Israeli history, politically, militarily, culturally and religiously.  Its impact continues to be felt in all these categories throughout the State of Israel.

Kib...