President's Message

GOOD PURIM!   I was reading the very first Holy Beggar's Gazette that was printed on Purim 5732 (1972). It transcribes tapes made of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach teaching about Purim. One of his stories is about a poor man, Pinchas, who would only mumble a "good Purim" greeting because he was so downtrodden. The Kozhnitzer Maggid insisted that he say "Good Purim" forcefully and practiced with him until he had it down right. From that moment on,...Read more...

Does anybody have the time?   I had a teacher at the Wydown Middle School who posted a sign next to the clock in her classroom that read: “If you have time to kill, work it to death”. Somehow that message has stuck with me for 55 years.   How many of us have heard these lines?   • Time is money. • Time waits for no one. • Better three hours too soon than a minute too late. • Lost time is never found again. •...Read more...

Who needs a president? We do. Believe it or not my two year term as Kol Rinah’s president will end this year. It is crucial for us to continue the work of our president and establish the next leader who will take office January 1, 2023. In fact we have had a combined, Brith Sholom, Kneseth Israel, Shaare Zedek, BSKI, and Kol Rinah, 83 presidents! I have served 3 different times. Louis Goodman served as President of Shaare Zedek for 27 years!...Read more...

I have more questions than answers.   We have many reasons these days not to attend synagogue: Fear of COVID, protocols, masks, no kiddush, streaming or Zoom services from other sources, changes in our routine, business, hobbies, sports, TV, internet, etc. What’s your reason? What permanent effects will this have on our lives as Jews?   Our synagogue has continued to function. We continue to have meetings, daily minyan, lifecycle...Read more...

There is an old saying… The third time is a charm. Perhaps in my case it has taken me three times to get it right. And right now, it feels right. According to Jewish law, once something is done three times it is considered a permanent thing. This is called a “chazakah,” a presumption of ownership, presumption of status. Let’s say you decide to take on a new task. If you do it once and succeed — it’s beginner’s luck. A second...Read more...