65 year retrospective: d’var Torah

by | Apr 9, 2025 | Essays

Written by Bob Chodos, presented at Temple Shalom on April 5, 2025 As I mentioned, Vayikra was the portion I read for my bar mitzvah way back in 1960. Instead of discussing the portion itself, I’d like to talk about some of the developments that have taken place in...

Newsletter Post – April 3, 2025

by | Apr 2, 2025 | Rabbi's Corner

Despite the snowy weather, חג האביב (Chag Ha-Aviv), the Spring Holiday – one of the many names for Passover – is fast approaching. Maybe this email is the wake-up call you needed to sort out your Pesach plans (in which case, don’t miss the Temple...

Newsletter Post – March 27, 2025

by | Mar 26, 2025 | Rabbi's Corner

If you emailed me this week, you (hopefully!) received my autoreply that I was attending the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis) Convention, an opportunity to spend several days reconnecting with colleagues, doing deep textual learning, participating in...

Newsletter Post – March 13, 2025

by | Mar 12, 2025 | Rabbi's Corner

Tonight and over the next few days, we join with Jewish communities around the world celebrating Purim – the classic example of “they tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.” This humorous summary of Jewish history is a useful shorthand for...

Newsletter Post – February 27, 2025

by | Feb 26, 2025 | Rabbi's Corner

This past Shabbat, a group of Temple Shalom members joined me for a deep dive into the “why’s” and “how’s” of wearing a tallit, the prayer shawl traditionally worn by adult Jews at morning services. If you’ve never tried this...