A very special, loving, and warm community In so many ways, it’s hard to believe that it’s June already. The time has gone so quickly. It seems only yesterday that I accepted the invitation of the Board of Trustees and the Rabbinic Search Committee to serve as the Rabbi of Moses Montefiore Temple. The Placement […]
In honor of Israel’s 65th Birthday…… For the Jews, Israel is a state of mind. It is not only a piece of geography. It is history. It is theology. It is memory. It is Jewish tears and Jewish triumphs. It is Jewish anguish and Jewish ecstasy. It is childhood legends and Biblical verses. […]
I was a volunteer in a maximum security prison while I was in college. I met with the Jewish prisoners several times a semester. One of the most memorable experiences I had there was when I spent Passover in prison. We were in the gym for half a day. There was time for socializing and […]
November 2012 Several years ago, I worked with a small congregation. We held our High Holy Day services outside, in a local park. When the weather was good, it was amazingly wonderful. Calm, peaceful, warm, beautiful. With tiki torches surrounding us for light, stars twinkling through the tree branches overhead, and a deep sense of […]
October 2012 In a wonderful Midrash, the Rabbis taught: “In the time of Rabbi Akiva, the evil Roman Emperor Hadrian banned all the practices of Judaism. Anyone who dared to teach Torah would be cruelly murdered. Rabbi Akiva continued to teach Torah, and his friend Papus questioned him on his wisdom. Akiva answered with a […]
September 2012 I read the following story in the Congregation Emanu El of Houston, Texas Temple Bulletin several years ago. I’ve never forgotten it. The original source was forgotten, but the story must never be. Thanks to Rabbi Walter for sharing this story. “A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going […]
High Holy Days Worship
August 15, 2013 by David Marx • Rabbi
I love the High Holy Days. I love the intensity. I love drama. I love seeing the sanctuary full, with everyone coming together. I love the sound of so many voices lifted in prayer. I love the feeling that when we all pray together, there is a uniquely spiritual, holy sense of connection, community, and […]