Libby Cone’s Kallat Bereshit Speech 5785

You probably have heard me, when making the blessing when called to the Torah, identifying myself as “Bat Avraham v’Sarah,” though you know I am not a convert. It’s because my Jewish journey was somewhat sparse and complicated until I got married. As an infant, I was adopted by a paranoid schizophrenic mother and a […]

Brian Mono’s Hatan Torah Speech 5785

Shabbat shalom! I want to begin my remarks by thanking the past recipients of the Hatan Torah and Kallat Bereshit for honoring me with this award. I’ve worked closely with many of you, and I’m not sure I’ve done enough yet to be included within your ranks. Thank you, Harry, for the wonderful introduction. I […]

Judy Lalli’s Al Het

Al Het By Judy Goldsmith Lalli  Yom Kippur 2024/5785   For the sin of acting without thinking  and For the sin of staying stuck in our heads   For the sin of not doing more for others and For the sin of not doing more for ourselves    For the sin of forgetting the past and For the sin of living […]

Frank Giorgilli’s Shofarot

Some Comments on Shofarot The two previous components, Malkhuyot and Zikhronot, dealt, respectively, with God’s majesty and with remembrance of the revelation at Sinai. In thinking about Shofarot, I went back to the beginning of our story – to Mount Moriah with Abraham and Isaac. Maybe I’m wrong but I would think that a ram […]

Stephen Cohen’s Malkhuyot

2nd Day Rosh Hashana 5785 A discussion on malkhuyot, God’s sovereignty, is part of the Rosh Hashana canon, as Talmud Rosh Hashana 16a:15 records. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: וְאִמְרוּ לְפָנַי בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה מַלְכִיּוֹת זִכְרוֹנוֹת וְשׁוֹפָרוֹת V’imru l’fanai b’rosh hashana malkhiyot “And recite before Me on Rosh HaShana verses that mention […]