Dear Friends:I was never very skilled in languages and only learned as I prepared this message that “mignon” is the French word for “cute,” as in “filet mignon.” But what about the word “minyan?”  The Hebrew word “minyan” refers to…

Dear Friends:I am often struck by how meaningful, timely, and powerful our Jewish texts can be. Psalm 69:14 says, “May my prayer to You, G_d, come in a favorable time.”  The Talmud (B. Ber 7b-8a) asks what it means that…

Dear Friends: If ever there was a time to feel thankful for all of my many blessings, it is indeed now. Though we live on eastern Long Island and are immersed in a coronavirus hotspot, Beverly and I are healthy,…

In some of my recent quarterly rabbinic messages, I spoke about the experiences that Beverly and I have had out on Long Island these past months participating in services at a wide variety of synagogues.  My appreciation goes to the…