The Omer: What Are We Counting? And Why?

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Why do we count the Omer? Ask 3 people and you might well get 3 answers. We are counting the days between Pesach and Shavuot, the time we left the […]

Minnesota Clergy Urges Congress Not To Cut SNAP Program

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Dear Members of Congress, We write as Minnesota Jewish clergy members serving a variety of organizations and congregations possessing a wide range of public policy perspectives. We are united by […]

King Ahasuerus: Foolish Puppet or Malevolent Despot?

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Some characters in the Purim story are transparent: Queen Esther is good Mordechai is good Haman is bad But what about King Ahasuerus? Most of us remember the story of […]

When Do I Say Kaddish?

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Some years ago one of my elderly relatives remarried. Her new husband Shimon, was a Holocaust survivor whose relatives had been deported from France and murdered in Auschwitz, but he […]

Hanukkah Miracle Latkes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Delicious

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I grew up in a big family that has always entertained a variety of eaters. At holiday meals, dishes would be organized buffet-style into sections labeled “kosher,” “vegetarian,” and “heathen.” […]

Honest Instructions for Building a Sukkah

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Welcome to the season of Sukkot, a time of family, community, and the realization that you have 3.5 days to build a hut on your lawn. So pull out the […]

Watch Your Words

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During Yom Kippur we confess almost 200 times in our prayers to sins connected with our speech. Out of the 44 sins in the “Al Cheit” prayer, 11 are associated […]

Rosh Hashanah 5785

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This year I want to dip apples in saltwater I want to spread honey on my wounds How does one forgive the sting of alienation? How does one atone for […]