I was nervous about coming to Tucson because I knew I would be a co-rabbi with Rabbi Thomas Louchheim. He seemed nice at my interview weekend, but how would this work in practice?! Would it be awkward? Would it be unclear who had rabbinic authority? What would be the… Read more »
Rabbi Kleinman Growing up in Tucson, Alanna “Lonnie” Kleinman did not know any female rabbis or any religious leaders who identified as LGTBQ. Now Kleinman is joining a much more diverse rabbinate, one that more fully reflects the fullness of Jewish communities. On May 22, almost 50 years after Rabbi Sally… Read more »
On June 16th, in New York, Rabbi Cantor Emily Ellentuck received rabbinic ordination from The Rabbinical Academy at Mesifta Adath Wolkowisk. She serves as Cantor for Congregation M’Kor Hayim and works at Tucson Hebrew Academy as program coordinator and teaching Judaic Studies and tefillah.… Read more »
Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim Background: I received both doses of the Moderna vaccine in March of this year. Just over two weeks ago I suffered a bad cold, and was asked to be tested. On the fourth day of my symptoms, I received a positive antigen test. Nine days into my quarantine, I… Read more »
Rabbi Dr. Scott Saulson Kol Ami is the “old-new” synagogue in town. After nearly two years of collaborative planning, we are emerging from and building on the legacies of Temple Emanu-El, founded in 1910, and of Congregation Or Chadash, founded in 1995. We envision “a home of joyful Judaism for all.” Indeed, we… Read more »
Rabbi Helen T. Cohn Jewish teaching makes it clear in the Torah and later writings that we have a special obligation to take care of the weakest members of society, referred to in Torah as “the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.” Thus in a sense the Torah recognizes that not all people… Read more »
Rabbi Dr. Scott Saulson Included in the gracious invitation from the Arizona Jewish Post to offer approximately 500 words to appear in the “Rabbi’s Corner” on a Jewish topic of my choice was the addendum that my words “may or may not be related to the weekly Torah portion.” In other words, no… Read more »
Rabbi Sara Metz
This past June, my family moved from New Jersey to Tucson. As we started unpacking and dreaming of our life here, we looked to our yard. We knew that the blessing of rain is scarce in this desert climate. For that reason, we have worked with people who know… Read more »
Rabbi Sam Cohon What does it mean to be able to really perceive, not just observe? How can we look at a troubled period and see not just the facts, but the meaning? As we enter a new secular year, how can we best learn to use the complicated mess of this… Read more »
Rabbi Thomas A. Louchheim There is no age and no situation where values do not play a part. Modernity has created a fire hose of information that often — without reflection — drives us to analyze the information from our own accustomed viewpoint. We are so rushed to decide that we leave our… Read more »
I find it increasingly difficult to understand how any religion or spiritual tradition can put itself at the center of the world and claim it has the only truth about creation and the Divine. The internet offers windows into all corners of the world. Interfaith dialogue among open-hearted people… Read more »
Many times we rely on life’s happenings to determine our mood and productivity rate. Life often throws us unexpected curved balls and it dampens our spirit. The truth is, negative does not always mean bad. The implications of implementing discipline can come across as negative, yet its core values… Read more »
Rabbi Helen T. Cohn I’ve been thinking about rain lately, and noticing the lack of it. Tucson had a big monsoon several months ago which revealed a slight leak in our roof. We think the leak was fixed, and I’ve been waiting ever since for another big rain to confirm that, but a… Read more »
We have just completed the cycle of what Rabbi Kerry Olitzky calls “the Fall Holidays of Memory.” During the month of Elul that leads into the Days of Awe, we spent many hours remembering this past year, doing cheshbon hanefesh, taking an accounting of our souls. This involves tallying… Read more »
Rabbi Norman T. Roman I remember the dialogue session well, although it took place more than 45 years ago. Two respected, learned Jewish scholars, who been study partners (chevruta) at the yeshiva in New York, came together in Cleveland, where I grew up, for a Shabbat afternoon presentation during the Festival of Sukkot.… Read more »
Rabbi Robert Eisen Which of the following makes you the angriest: • Arguing with someone when you know you are right? • Arguing with someone when you know they are wrong? • Arguing in general? One of the comments I hear all too often is, “The thing I love most about Judaism… Read more »
Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin (Britta Van Vranken) Jewish communities have a custom of reading the Book of Ruth on the holiday of Shavuot, which commemorates the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. It is not an obvious selection. The Talmudist Rabbi Zeira asked, “This scroll does not contain the laws of impurity or purity, prohibitions or… Read more »
Rabbi Israel Becker As I was praying alone in my study this Passover, words I had been saying my entire life suddenly popped out of the siddur: “We have been exiled from our land. We are unable to serve you in your Holy House.” We also are experiencing an exile, from our… Read more »
Have you ever been engrossed in your phone, and then your phone dies, leaving you feeling at a loss? The office we run out of the door to in the mornings no longer needs us there. The big dinner we are getting a babysitter for has been postponed. The vacation… Read more »
Rabbi Yossie Shemtov Two thousand five hundred years ago, Haman — then prime minister of the Persian Empire — succeeded in convincing King Ahasuerus to issue a decree to destroy the Jews throughout the land. Following the issuance of this decree, Haman and his comrades went strolling with jovial hearts and encountered the… Read more »
