HTAA Blog

As I type this message on my iPhone (sorry for typos), I sit at the bedside of my father-in-law in NJ, whose health is declining. The time I have spent in the hospital with him for the past two days have been some of the best moments we have ever shared. We discussed serious matters of life and death. We faced fears together. We have cried together but also laughed and joked. We talked about how his wife...Read more...

Chanukah celebrates the season of miracles and we acknowledge all of the wondrous turns of events that culminated with the rededication of the Holy Temple.  The Chanukah lights are a symbol that when things seem dark and hopeless, if we can keep faith, extraordinary things do happen.

You might have noticed attendance at or daily minyanim is less than encouraging. Over the past couple of years, we have lost many of our...Read more...

By now, your belly is probably full of hodu (= turkey) and your heart is filled with hodaya (= prayers of thanksgiving) at the delicious meal and the great company that you shared yesterday. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for two reasons. First, it is the only holiday that, as a rabbi, I don’t have to “work.” But most importantly, Thanksgiving is like every American standing up and reciting...Read more...

"People of the Book" is a nickname given to, and later embraced by, the Jewish people. It describes our strict adherence to the written Torah and the oral tradition. Consequently, we take seriously our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the the original message, as much as possible. Only a Torah that is considered "kosher" may be read publicly in the synagogue. A kosher scroll is made using parchment, nerves...Read more...

Last night, I attended the ADL Concert Against Hate, at the Kennedy Center. The event honored seven brave individuals who have overcome hate and spread goodwill, in remarkable ways. They did so despite unthinkable personal circumstances, which might otherwise result in further hate and conflict. Instead, they have become inspiring stories of love conquering hate. Among them were:

Rais Bhuiyan, an American Muslim, who was shot by a...Read more...

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It contains almost every kind of ecological system on earth: cultivated land, rain forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit. At a colossal 19,341 feet, Mt. Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes to ever break through the earth’s crust. Hemingway made the mountain a...Read more...

Dear Friends,

This Shabbat we are responding to the worst act of anti-Semitism in North American history with our greatest show of solidarity. A continental Solidarity Shabbat with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh. At synagogues, community centers and homes across North America, we will gather together in prayer and unity. We are one people, and we won’t be intimidated in our places of...Read more...

We are in shock over the horrific incident that unfolded during Shabbat services in Pennsylvania this morning, resulting in many lost lives, shattered families, and traumatized communities. Our condolences and prayers go out to the members of the Tree of Life synagogue and the community of Pittsburgh - they and we should know of no further tragedies.

What We Are Doing To Ensure Your Safety

In the opening verses of Parashat Vayeira, read this week, we witness various acts of hesed, kindness toward fellow human beings.  Just as Abraham is recovering from his circumcision, Hashem Himself comes to pay a visit.  The Talmud describes this as an action bikkur holim, the jewish value of visiting a person to offer comfort when they are not well (Sota 14a).  The Talmud concludes that just as Hashem visited Abraham after...Read more...

There is a popular Yiddish saying with similar versions in many languages, Der mench tracht un Got lacht, which translates to “Man plans and God laughs." I have never much cared for that adage because it minimizes the burden of responsibility on people to prevail despite unforeseen and sometimes negative or unfair conditions. I don't believe we must always be victims of our circumstances. We do have choices...Read more...

Every night, before bed, Mara and I read a book together and talk about our day. It is my most treasured time with my daughter, since we are both rushed in the mornings and busy most days. I suspect she enjoys it too because, during this time, she is candid and inquisitive. We sometimes use the stories to open discussions and share our feelings. My favorite book to read with her, this time of year, is The Hardest Word, illustrated...Read more...

In recent days, we have been blasting the shofar each morning, offering special Selichot prayers, preparing our tastiest recipes, and sending new years salutations. These, and other rituals, serve to communicate that Rosh Hashanah is coming - the most holy days of the year are upon us - and we have work to do. 

We acknowledge that it takes effort and time to repair relationships and correct bad habits. None of it can be...Read more...

This month of Elul is spent preparing for the upcoming new year. Unlike the secular new year which is commonly welcomed with lavish parties and overindulgence, the Jewish method of marking the head of the year is much more reflective and personal. It is not about whom we are kissing at the moment the ball drops in Times Square. It is about taking steps to implement changes in our lives, to make next year better than the last. For that,...Read more...

A kosher Torah must be written and maintained with great care. If even one letter is missing or so much as blemished to the point that the meaning of the word has changed, the Torah scroll is not considered kosher for use in a religious service. Yet, in a tiny number of instances, oral tradition conveys small but significant deviations in the writing of a Torah scroll. We find one example of this phenomenon at the beginning of this week’s...Read more...

Have you ever wondered why a quorum for a minyan consists of 10? Why not 9 or 11? After all, it only took 6 teammates on the ice last night to win the Stanley Cup.

The answer lies in this week’s Torah reading. Each of the 12 tribes selected a chief to perform reconnaissance on the Land of Israel and its inhabitants, ahead of their impending invasion. 2 spies, Caleb and Joshua, reported that the land was “very very good.”...Read more...

This week, I was very fortunate to attend a Chag Hasemicha, a rabbinical ordination ceremony for a dear friend and study partner, Rabbi Gerry Gilstrop (pictured right).

The event took place in Baltimore at the beautiful Bnai Israel Synagogue. My...Read more...

The Torah reading this week presents a mathematical inconsistency that seems illogical. In describing the blessings that will be showered upon those who follow God's laws, the Torah describes the following scenarios: "Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand." (Lev. 26:8)

Even middle school math students will notice that if five Jews can chase off one hundred enemies, then one hundred...Read more...

This past Tuesday, we counted the 33rd day of the Omer, leading up to the Festival of Shavuot. Lag B’Omer is marked by parties, weddings, BBQs and celebration and is significant because of an incident that occurred early in the 2nd Century.

the Talmud teaches that during the few weeks after Passover, all 24,000 students of the great sage, Rabbi Akiva, died in a plague. A massive blow to the continuity of Torah scholarship, it is...Read more...

This Shabbat goes by a special name, Shabbat Hagadol, and precedes the Festial of Passover. It reminds us to go through our checklist to make sure our preparations are complete. Here is some useful information and links to help you out. Many helpful links can be found at www.htaa.org/passover . 
Read more...

This Shabbat goes by a special name: Shabbat Zachor - the Sabbath of Remembrance. In addition to the regularly scheduled Torah portion of Tetzaveh in the book of Exodus, we take out an additional Torah and read a special selection from Parashat Ki Teitzei in the book of Deuteronomy. This special reading contains the commandment to "remember" what Amalek did to the Children of Israel as we travelled out of Egypt...Read more...

Mishenichnas Adar Marbin B'simcha
"When Adar comes, we increase our happiness!" (Taanit 29a)

Today, we celebrate Rosh Chodesh and joyously welcome the Hebrew month of Adar. When this time comes around, the Talmud instructs us to increase our happiness level. In fact, this is one of the few seasons that we are actually commanded to be in a positive, even happy, mood. Although it seems strange that our tradition...Read more...

Did you know the U.S. government’s first official counterterrorism office was created in response to an attack on Israelis? In fact, many of the components of the U.S. responses to terrorism were prompted by developments affecting Israel.

During his Shabbat morning guest lecture on Jan. 27, Michael Kraft, a 19-year veteran of the U.S. State Department’s counterterrorism office, shared these and many other insights about about...Read more...

There is a Midrash, a rabbinic parable, taught on this week's Torah portion, about the place God chose to give the tablets containing the 10 Commandments. All the mountains assembled before God and explained why they should be the chosen place for God to reveal the Torah. The tall mountains contended that they are most deserving because of their height. The beautiful ones argued that their elegance qualifies them. Mount Sinai stood in the...Read more...

The first acts of God, as described in the opening verses of the Torah, were to create light and to separate the light from the darkness.  Each Saturday night, when darkness falls and Shabbat ebbs away, we light an havdallah candle and praise God for distinguishing between light and dark.

Even in the parlance of our times, when one reveals information or puts a matter into perspective, we say they “shed light” on it, in...Read more...

In this week’s Torah portion, the Exodus story is heating up. After a failed negotiation with Pharaoh, God instructs Moses to return to the palace with the demand, ”let my people go.” However, before Moses carries out this command, the Torah interrupts with a puzzling list of genealogies, concluding with Moses and Aaron.

Rashi explains the reason for the mention of their ancestry is to establish that the brothers descend from...Read more...

Before I became a parent, someone explained to me that I could not possibly understand love. Since our daughter was born, I had many conversations with Rachel z”l, questioning whether Mara really is the most beautiful and amazing child in the world or if it is only because we are her parents that we think so. A parent's love for a child is unmatched by any other force in nature and children often thrive when given sufficient support,...Read more...