INSPIRATION & REFLECTION from Rabbi Birnholz

Our return to the Sanctuary for High Holy Days after an absence of four years might not be quite that dramatic, but it is still significant and calls on us to mark it with intention. We have the opportunity and responsibility to witness experiences of being a sacred remnant, reconnecting and restoring after a loss.

I am awash in awe and thanksgiving. I feel the impact of my efforts and my heart is full of appreciation for all of the people, in big moments and small ways, have stepped forward to give their ruach and koach, energy, wisdom and resources to me, my family and to our congregation. I have witnessed Temple Beth Shalom truly be that House of Shalom: a place where we create something extraordinary, wholeness and harmony more than the sum of it’s parts….

Judaism is all about finding the connections in our world. Over the last few weeks, in the countdown to Thanksgiving, I have been giving a lot of thought to the dynamics between the blessings I receive, which in turn cause me to give thanks. As I have considered these values and dynamics, I was drawn into […]

In October I was joined by Tessa and Matan Ben Ami and Charlie Fox for planting at Shining Lights Garden. While we planted ten 500 foot rows of squash seeds (that’s about a mile) we chatted about the High Holy Days that had passed and the Festival of Sukkot that was about to begin. Planting in a […]