Shalom. I am presently on a rabbinic mission to Israel and will return on July 20th. During this journey I have been meeting with Palestinian and Israeli leaders as they deepen my own understanding of what home means to each population. Below is a video message I recorded for you from the Holy Land.
Last year PBS aired a special program about astronaut Scott Kelly’s homecoming and readjustment to life on Earth after living on the International Space Station for 11 months. Segments included discussions of what’s next in space travel, including theoretical travel to Mars, and the tests conducted to track changes between Kelly and his twin brother Mark, who remained on Earth as the control part of the experiment.
Recording from Shabbat Services, July 7, 2018 D’var from Saturday, July 7, 2018 – Rabbi David Kosak *If you would like to download the recording and listen later, right click on the link then click “Save as” and it will save onto your computer for later listening. Recorded and edited by Ed Kraus. Click here for an archive of past recordings.
Home. There’s so much power in that single word. Even in an age where opportunity seems out of reach for many, the American dream remains strong. It may no longer be a white picket fence, but for a vast majority of folks, getting a place of one’s own is still a compelling desire. It’s a primeval impulse, really.
When I was pregnant with Matan, I heard many well-meaning reminders not to compare the two children. It is inevitable, though, that we look for similarities when we look at our children. Whether in the way they look (my two look exactly the same), the age at which they meet certain milestones (Matan is slightly faster in some respects), or their nature in general, I find it difficult to stop myself from noticing how they’re alike.
Having recently gone through the process of renovating and expanding our house, I am all too familiar with city ordinances, HOA requirements, and the laws surrounding what I can and cannot do to my property. A lot of thought and energy goes into city and neighborhood planning.
Last Sunday, congregant Julie Welch sent me the following email: “I was in a Kabbalat Shabbat service a few weeks ago where the feeling of kavanah was very strong. It made me think of being transported by prayer. My next thought was "where would these prayers take me?" I thought about it some more on the way home and here are some of my answers.” We’ll get back to Julie’s answers in a few moments.
