The Rabbi's Blog
February 2024
Shalom Sha’arei Shalom, I hope this note finds you well. It has been several months since beginning my tenure as the Rabbi of Sha’arei Shalom and I wanted to share with you some of my recent reflections considering current events. I find comfort in the empathy of this prayer by Rabbi Tamara Cohen, based on […]
read more »Rabbi Eric’s Farewell Message
To my dear Sha’arei Shalom family, Shalom! I hope that this finds you all well as we inch towards summer. I am still overwhelmed by the gathering and outpouring of kind words almost two weeks ago. (Forgive me for not writing this sooner – I was with my parents in Florida.) We have most surely […]
read more »Rabbi Craig’s Introductory Message
Shalom Sha’arei Shalom! I am so delighted to have this opportunity to say hello and thanks for inviting me to be your new rabbi. I am grateful to Rabbi Eric for making the introduction and to Carolyn Fertig, the Search Committee, and the Board for opening the door. And, meeting some of you, whether at […]
read more »May 2023
Dear Sha’arei Shalom friends, Shalom! I hope that this finds you well. It has surely been an eventful week in our world! My heart and mind have been very much focused on Israel during this week. As you likely know, this week marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the modern State of Israel […]
read more »April 2023
Dear Sha’arei Shalom friends, Spring has sprung, more or less – and in just a few days we will come to our celebration of Pesach – our Festival of Freedom. For some, this may be the first time in several years that the celebration will be held with larger groups of family and friends. I […]
read more »March 2023
Dear Friends, As we welcome the month of March, we surely notice that the daylight hours are once again on the rise as the days lengthen and we anticipate, at least from a calendrical sense, the coming of Spring. Even as I delight at the increasing hours of daylight, I am all-too-keenly aware of the […]
read more »February 2023
Shalom friends, It seems like only yesterday that we began writing 2023, and in the blink of an eye, it’s already February. Time marches forward! Indeed, our Jewish tradition also recognizes this as we will read in a couple of months from Leviticus chapter 23 where we find the calendar of our people in ancient […]
read more »January 2023
Dear Sha’arei Shalom friends, I hope that you had a bright and joyous Chanukah, and some good family and/or fun time over the last week of ’22. Here’s hoping that 2023 will bring us better times, good health, and sweet blessings. The end of a year – be it Jewish, or secular, is always a […]
read more »November 2022
Friends, These have been tense weeks in our world especially across the Jewish world and community. The open and rising tide of antisemitic rhetoric (and attacks) continues even as this past week we marked four years since the horrific attack on the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh. As I write these words, the […]
read more »September 2022
Dear Sha’arei Shalom friends, I cannot believe that as I write these words September is staring us in the face. Wow – did that summer fly by. I hope that this finds you well and that you had a restorative summer! I hope that you were able to enjoy family and friends, and hopefully some […]
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