None of my children ever had an imaginary friend, but when one daughter was around 3 years old, for a period of several months, she would tell me in the morning that there had been a llama in her room at night. She wasn’t afraid of the llama or upset that it was...
Parshat Noach – Tzelem Elokim – How can I be like God?
The book of Genesis is a book that itself could be studied over an entire year and the reader would still be left with many questions. When we study the books of the Torah and perhaps the book of Genesis in particular, we need to look at the stories and ideas on both...
Parshat Noach – Healthy Rainbow Kebabs!
To remember the rainbow that God sent as a reminder that he would never again bring a flood to the world, why not try this beautiful and healthy rainbow of fruit kebabs!
Please enjoy this thoughtful introduction to the book of Genesis by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks…
Some holiday reading for Simchat Torah… Bereishit-The-Genesis-of-Justice – Rabbi Sacks
Sukkot, Shabbat and Paula Abdul – It’s all about keeping it together!
On the holiday of Sukkot, we celebrate our successful agricultural harvest with the four species. The lulav, made up of the willow, myrtle and palm branches, is taken together with the etrog. One of the many meanings ascribed in the Midrash to the four species is that...
Thoughts on Yom Kippur – The Ninth Inning – Neilah
There is something unique about the ninth inning in baseball, the fourth quarter in football, set points in tennis and the final minutes in a hockey game. Sometimes the unexpected happens during those last few minutes of the game that changes everything. It could be a...Akiva Calendar
Rabbi Grossman’s Corner
Parashat Re’eh – Seeing is believing
Parashat Eikev – Little Things
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful, restful summer with opportunities to enjoy special moments with your families and the warm weather. As we settle back into routine, our children will surely be asked at some point to reflect on what they did over the...
Parashat Be-Ha’alotekha – Is the fish ever free?
What are your children doing for the summer? Given the choice, one of mine would find a cozy corner, log onto an electronic device and Netflix or youtube the summer away, the second would ask me every day what activity I’d planned for each hour, and the third is used...
Parashat Naso – The Power or Privilege to Bless
My husband blesses our children on Friday night when we sit down to Shabbat dinner. If he is detained at the hospital and we bring in Shabbat without him, I make Kiddush and I make Ha-Motzi on the challah. But I don’t bless my daughters. I leave that for when he...