Shabbat Shuvah | Rabbi Michael Siegel | September 10, 2021
Higher and Higher: Into the Fire” A Tribute to the Firefighters of the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and Shabbat Shuvah Rabbi Michael S. Siegel Friday, September 10, 2021 On 911 our world change. The unimaginable became imaginable. The images of planes directed at buildings, and seeing those two iconic structures collapse, people walking in shock covered in dust will Continue Reading »
Rosh Hashanah Day Two | Rabbi D'ror Chankin-Gould | September 8, 2021
Making Teshuvah with Ourselves Rabbi D’ror Chankin-Gould Rosh Hashanah, Day 2, 2021 This year, I, like most of you, did a fair bit of TV binge watching. Amongst other things, perhaps more than once, I watched all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. I love the Marvel Universe. I love the superheroes and their foibles. Continue Reading »
Rosh Hashanah Day One | Rabbi David Russo | September 7, 2021
DisembArking: Rosh Hashanah, Day 1 Rabbi David Russo Shana tova! When late night host Stephen Colbert returned to having a live audience for his show in June, just a few months ago, he began his opening monologue, saying: “I am so glad that quarantine restrictions have been lifted. It’s the only reason that I can Continue Reading »
Rosh Hashanah Day One | Rabbi Michael Siegel | September 7, 2021
Catching Our Tears: Finding Our Humanity and our Judaism Rabbi Michael S. Siegel Rosh Hashanah 2021 In my hand I hold a small clay bottle. It can easily be mistaken for a random piece of pottery discovered on a dig in Israel. But it had a very specific purpose. This is a facsimile of an Continue Reading »
Erev Rosh Hashanah | Rabbi D'ror Chankin-Gould | September 6, 2021
The Power of Gratitude Rabbi D’ror Chankin-Gould Erev Rosh Hashanah 2021 For Thanksgiving last year, we drove an RV to Arizona. It was the height of the Pandemic. I hadn’t seen my parents in ages. It seemed like the only safe and reasonable way to get there. So, my family of four piled into a Continue Reading »
Ki Tavo | Rabbi Michael Siegel | August 31, 2021
How do you say Computer in Russian, Computer? In Spanish? Computadora In Japanese: Com puu tor Globalization has affected every aspect of our lives including or language. As most technological advances have been made In America it makes sense that the English terms would make their way around the world in their original form. The Continue Reading »
Shoftim | Rabbi D'ror Chankin-Gould | August 16, 2021
This week, and just this week, in our home, in our backyard, in the city of Chicago, the following people died from gun violence: Cordell Bass Andre Carter Ella French Kenneth Harvey Jeremy Head Lazerrick Jackson Stephan Roberts Tyrane Seals Daryl Willis Unknown (3) If you are like me, most of the time, you don’t Continue Reading »
Naso | Rabbi Michael Siegel | May 22, 2021
Imagine this scene. A slave people, who lived for hundreds of years under the whip and tyranny of Egypt. Stripped of a sense of self, these slaves inhabited a world where they were defined by the Egyptian overlords as something subhuman, abhorrent, no different than a pack animal. Now, miraculously freed from slavery, these same Continue Reading »
Kedoshim | Rabbi Michael Siegel | April 24, 2021
Love Your Neighbor A man walks into the car store wanting to buy a car. He pays the man at the counter and the salesperson says, “All right, just come back in 10 years to pick one up.” The man replies, “Morning or afternoon?” The dealer says, “Well, 10 years from now, what difference does it Continue Reading »
Tazria-Metzora | Rabbi Michael Siegel | April 17, 2021
Behind my desk in my office, there are two beautiful stained-glass windows. One is a striking image of the Prophet Jeremiah. So, I have the distinction of spending a great deal of time with the image of one of our great Prophets before me. Though I have not been spending a significant amount of time Continue Reading »
