Rabbi Suson on the 2020 Census & Parashat Bamidbar
05/22/2020 03:12:10 PM
Shavua Tov!
05/16/2020 10:25:20 PM
Shamai Discusses Parashat Bhar-Bechukotai
05/15/2020 01:00:53 PM
Staying Healthy & Updated
05/01/2020 04:19:35 PM
Although our synagogue doors our closed, our community is close and active as ever - thanks to the wonders of modern technology and the innovative efforts of our staff and members. Over the past six weeks, we have held more than 72 Zoom minyanim - morning and afternoon, every weekday. The live Passover Seder and Yizkor...Read more...
A Parasha of Quarantine and Isolation : Torah Reading Tazria-Metzora
04/24/2020 11:42:34 AM
Parashat Tazria-Metzora 5780
04/24/2020 11:08:38 AM
Communicating in Close Quarters : Parashat Shemini 5780
04/17/2020 02:53:05 PM
A Preventable Death? Torah reading Parashat Shemini
04/17/2020 02:52:39 PM
Chag Kasher V'Sameach! You're Invited!
04/03/2020 01:51:21 PM
I hope this message finds you and your family in good health and good spirits. This Shabbat is called Shabbat Hagadol - the Great Shabbat because it precedes the festival of Passover. Unfortunately, this Shabbat does not feel so great. In fact, Passover isn’t looking too...Read more...
Rhythm 'N' Ruach: Shalom at Home Interview with the Rabbi!
03/31/2020 03:09:06 PM
Read more... Trying & Tiring Times...
03/13/2020 02:47:59 PM
In the last few days many of us have been listening to the news or reading the reports about the growing scope of COVID-19 in our region. Just yesterday afternoon, Governor Larry Hogan announced several emergency actions in an effort to halt the spread of the virus and secure the greater public’s health. What we are being told by the Maryland Board of Health as well as the CDC and WHO is simple, if your sick stay home...Read more...
COVID-19
03/07/2020 11:46:15 AM
We have been following the news about Coronavirus (COVID-19), as have you. Please read the message below from our president and know that we are taking precautions at the synagogue to ensure the cleanest and healthiest possible conditions for our congregants. Most important is that if you don’t feel well, please don’t come to shul. So many in our community are in the higher risk category and it...Read more...
Shabbat Yitro
02/18/2020 02:37:56 PM
Moses has a reputation, according to the Torah, of being the “most humble man of the face of the earth.” But when his father-in-law comes for a visit, the extent of his immense patience and grace speaks for itself. When Yitro arrived in town, he observed his son-in-law, Moses, doing what he did every day:
And Moshe sat down to judge the people; and the people waited [to see] Moshe from morning till night.
Yitro...Read more...
Of Darkness and Light
01/31/2020 02:33:06 PM
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 a 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 order that...Read more...
פרשת וארא
01/24/2020 12:51:05 PM
On the heels of one unsuccessful negotiation, God commands Moses and Aaron to return to Pharaoh’s palace and demand, “Let my people go!” However, before Moses carries out this command, the Torah interrupts with a puzzling list of ancestries, beginning with Jacob and concluding with the birth of Moses and Aaron. The Exodus story in this week’s reading was just heating up before tangentially relating the genealogical qualifications of...Read more...
Pro-Israel
01/03/2020 11:59:44 AM
With all the partisan political maneuvering going on both in the U.S. and Israel right now, one thing remains clear: our country and the Jewish State are proudly bound together in so many ways—through shared military, security, economic, and technological cooperation that is crucial to both nations’ safety, well-being and prosperity. The funds that our country provides every year to Israel makes possible, among so many other things, the...Read more...
AIPAC 2020
12/13/2019 02:58:14 PM
Auntie A,
I want to share a few things with you, as Shabbat approaches. First, I hope you will come to shul tomorrow to hear inspiring words of Torah from our own member, Ethan Halpern. The service will be entirely lay led, with two of our teens, Niv Leibowitz and Eric Curreri, officiating.
Second, I hope you enjoyed last week's presentation by Jason Pressman from AIPAC. Several congregants have inquired about discounted...Read more...
In Memory Of...
11/22/2019 12:19:50 PM
As I was preparing this email, I received the most unfortunate news. Our dear member, Mark Olkon, has suddenly passed away. Mark was the son of our late Cantor Elijah & Anna Olkon z"l and sister of Naomi Judith Olkon (Robert Cohen), of California.
Mark was a regular and active in our daily minyanim, often leading daily and Shabbat services. He read Torah on the high holidays for many...Read more...
Parashat Vayera
11/15/2019 01:31:23 PM
The most confusing message a child can hear is that of: “Do as I say, not as I do.” Researchers conducted a recent survey of teen drivers who related that while parents often remind them not to text and drive, they regularly see their parents using their own smartphones while driving.
Despite well-intended instruction, some values may only be instilled by proper example. According to the research, young drivers only...Read more...
Let the Light In - Parashat Noach 5780
11/01/2019 01:14:25 PM
Yom Kippur 5780
10/08/2019 11:38:21 AM
ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת
10/04/2019 11:07:53 AM
In Moses’ final address he instructs the people to go and write this shira (lit. song). The stated purpose of the writing is so that it is instilled in the mouths of future generations of Israelite children. Thus, a perpetual relationship would be established between Israelites and God. The language of communication is the “song.”
The Talmud understands the “song” to be referring to the Torah. The command is to go and write...Read more...
Shana Tova 5780
09/27/2019 02:24:25 PM
Rosh Hashanah represets a new opportunity to change the trajectory of our lives. It's true, we do not need to wait for these Days of Awe to do teshuva or to re-evaluate the direction our choices are taking us. However, this season does create an atmosphere which helps make soul-searching easier to achieve. During these days, we make a mental review of the chains of decisions that have led us to where we are...Read more...
To Life!
09/13/2019 01:22:34 PM
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...Read more...
Symbolism
08/23/2019 02:58:14 PM
This week’s Torah portion opens as follows:
והיה עקב תשמעון את המשפטים האלה
(Ekev) you hearken to these laws and do them, Adonai your God will keep the Covenant and kindness that he promised to your ancestors.
The word Ekev, at the beginning of the verse literally means “heel” but is understood differently by various commentators.
Targum Onkelos translates Ekev as...Read more...
The Kitchener Camp: When Britain Welcomed 4,000 German Jews
07/02/2019 12:42:53 PM
Irmgard Brill was pregnant with her first child, and she was terrified. Nazis had burned down the synagogue, violence reigned in the streets, and she and her husband Walter had been forced to hide in the home of a friend. After years of increasing abuse and discrimination against Jews in Germany, this horrific night focused their dilemma. Irmgard must have wondered if they should stay in their hometown of Munich, Germany. And if...Read more...
The Priestly Blessing
06/14/2019 12:00:57 PM
I always look forward to Fridays. I suppose I'm not alone - most of us do. Friday reminds us that whatever happened during the work week to make us nervous, anxious, or frustrated has passed and before us lies a day dedicated to family, rest and showing gratitude God.
As I child, I anticipated Erev Shabbat and our regular Friday night meals with friends and family crowded around the dining room table. Just before reciting...Read more...
Shavuot
06/07/2019 02:29:57 PM
Tomorrow, at the close of Shabbat, begins the two-day festival of Shavuot. Shavuot celebrates the gift of the Torah in the world and in our lives. Some even have the custom to stay up all night studying to commemorate this glorious event.
AT HTAA, are holding a special study session to conclude Shabbat and begin the holiday (complete with cheese cake, of course).
The study session, sponsored by Lew Strudler and family, will...Read more...
Conclusion of The Book of Leviticus
05/31/2019 02:37:33 PM
This week, congregations across the world will conclude the book of Leviticus (except in Israel, where Parashat Bechukotai was read last Shabbat). God promises blessings to B’nai Yisrael when they walk in His path and keep His statutes. Conversely, if we stray and don’t follow the laws, the Torah lists 49 punishment that will be meted. Heavy stuff for a Saturday morning...
It is customary in many synagogues (including ours)...Read more...
We Stand with Poway
05/03/2019 02:29:41 PM
The horror of last weeks events is still in the forefront of our minds. The tragic murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye z"l and the incident at the Chabad of Poway has sent shockwaves through the Jewish community. So many people and communities bear emotional trauma as we stand speechless about how such atrocities occur.
On one level is our concern with the state of humanity. That a person can walk into a crowd of...Read more...