by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2022 | God, Happiness and Joy, Hebrew Language, Israel, Re’eih, Temple
One year ago, I fulfilled my lifelong dream and moved from the suburbs of New Jersey to the Land of Israel. We moved to the small town of Efrat, just outside of Bethlehem, trading our view of the local gas station and pizza shop in New Jersey for a view of the...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 22, 2022 | Community, Kindness and Compassion, Light Unto the Nations, Re’eih, Tests and Trials
Usually, it is only the significant events that we remember decades later. But I still remember every detail of what happened 23 years ago. I was on my way home from reserve duty and anxious to get home. It was evening and I had missed dinner. I had about half an hour...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 28, 2022 | Temple
My rabbi once told me that God created the world because he loves stories and the best stories are about people. But some stories take generations to tell. The Bible graphically illustrates this. The covenant that God made with Abraham promises that his descendants...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 19, 2022 | Covenant, Faith, God, Israel, Mourning, Pinchas, Redemption, Temple
I was walking past a bulletin board and saw the strangest notice: “I lost it. I don’t know what it is or where it is. I’ve never actually seen it. Some people say that it doesn’t belong to me but I really love it. Whatever it is.” This sounds strange but we do it all...
by Shira Schechter (Moderator) | f 17, 2022 | Covenant, God, Messiah, Prayer, Redemption, Seventeenth of Tammuz, Temple
There are many days that are auspicious, commemorated for a powerful event that happened on that date, earning them personal or even national significance. Birthdays and national holidays are like this. The same is true for sad days commemorating tragic events. People...
