Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Creation, the beauty of the creation, is a foundation of Kabbalat Shabbat. We begin with 6 psalms, one representing each day of the week, each day of the creation of the world, culminating in Shabbat. These psalms express God’s presence in the mountains and the seas, the meadows and the…
When Jessie was pregnant with Helena, we had a baby shower for her. Cards were passed out, and among the questions was, “I hope that you always remember, fill in the blank.” What is it that you hope that a child would always remember? That they are special? That they…
What is the hardest mitzvah for you? Is it not eating shrimp or bacon? Is it remembering to light shabbat candles each week? Is it saying Modeh Ani when you wake up in the morning? My suspicion is that, for many of us, the most challenging mitzvah is not fulfilling…
The number of days from the beginning of the month of Elul until Yom Kippur The number of days that it rained on Noah and the ark The number of days that the ark rested on the top of the mountain The number of days that Moses spent with God…
Erev Rosh HaShanah 2021, Temple Chai, Phoenix, AZ A Fiddler on the Roof? Sounds crazy, no? In 1905, Shalom Aleichem published his stories about Tevye the Dairyman, who, along with his wife Goldie, was raising 5 daughters in Imperial Russia. Jerry Stein, Sheldon Bock and Jerry Bock fell in…
At Kabbalat Shabbat we reflect on the week that is drawing to a close. My week has been consumed by images of Afghanistan, where I was privileged to spend Chanukkah on two separate tours, in Kandahar, Bagram, and an obscure Forward Operating Base on the border of Pakistan. I think…
Tonight we come together to pray for healing for our beloved community. We have been through an incredibly challenging time in the history of our congregation. We are breathing in a spirit of peace and the deepest hope that we can move forward with a spirit of unity: of caring,…
The name of this week’s Torah portion is “Vaetchanan.” The word can be translated as- “I begged, I pleaded, I entreated.” It is a poignant and heartbreaking moment. Think about the times in your life when you wanted something so desperately that you begged, pleaded, or entreated someone for them? …
There is a lot of anger in this week’s Torah portion. Beginning with verbal commitments made by women which can be nullified by the men in their lives, to revenge taken against the Midianites, to the tribes that want to stay on the east side of the Jordan. Protection is…
Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort. It’s an actual date ON the Jewish calendar. It occurs every summer, in the 7 weeks of comfort and consolation following Tisha B’Av. This year those 7 weeks begin on July 23, which is the OFFICIAL Shabbat Nachamu. This year I have a proposal. …