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The God Show Podcast With Pat McMahon - Ep. 282 Israel under attack. How could it happen?
Ask an Army Colonel. Ask a Rabbi. Ask a woman. They are all.
National Day of Listening
Did you know that today is a holiday? And I don’t mean “Black Friday?” I only recently learned that StoryCorps has informally...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Nov 27, 20204 min read
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The Five Languages of Apology- Yom Kippur 2020
A member of our community recently shared with me his frustration that he had apologized to someone, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” and...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 4, 20209 min read
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This I Believe- Rosh HaShanah 2020
A few lyrics- “I believe the children are our future.” So sings Whitney Houston, and I am inclined to agree. “Do you believe in life...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 4, 20207 min read
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Shabbat Parah: Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
March 26th will be the first day of the month of Nisan, the month in which Passover occurs. That means that next Shabbat, March 21, is...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 12, 20203 min read
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I Know That Valentine's Day is NOT a Jewish Holiday. . . .
I remember a few years ago- I was standing in the lobby, having just returned from a period of military service. I think I might have...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Feb 20, 20203 min read
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Locusts, Trees, and Tu Bishvat
Did you know that the word Elohim, God, and the word ha-tevah, nature, have the same numerical value in Hebrew? While Jews are not...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Feb 9, 20204 min read
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Jonah and the Cactus: Evanescence
The book of Jonah, which we read on Yom Kippur, ends on an absurd note. Jonah storms out of the city to sulk. He had been sent to call...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Sep 15, 20192 min read
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KonMari Your Passover
Spring cleaning has always been a Jewish thing. Except we call it Passover cleaning. It’s a good thing, at least occasionally, to take...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 31, 20193 min read
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Purim and Anti-Semitism
This year at Purim, one verse of the Megillah especially resonated with me. In Chapter Three, Verse 8, Haman seeks permission from...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 26, 20193 min read
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Praying for Rain
Rain is a blessing. Our tradition suggests that when we give thanks for rain, we appreciate each and every drop as a blessing. What a...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 2, 20183 min read
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Ten Things I Love About Being Jewish
Sense of Community Wisdom and Values Shabbat Connection to Tradition/Hebrew Brilliant Life-Cycle Practices Closeness to God through...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Sep 23, 20181 min read
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From Shushan Purim to Pesach: A Lesson in Empathy
What a wonderful, raucous Purim we enjoyed on Wednesday night and I trust that your celebration continued on Thursday. You might not be...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 8, 20184 min read
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Sukkot and Hurricanes
The year my friend Toby was dying of lung cancer, she told me that she did not want to say the Unetaneh Tokef prayer. She said that she...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 8, 20173 min read
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Reflections on the Yamim Noraim- Temple Chai Spiritual Leaders
Erev Rosh HaShanah– Rabbi Mari Chernow S. Y. Agnon tells the story[1] of a young man who became estranged from his father, the king. The...
Natti Natti
Sep 12, 20136 min read
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Love Means Having to Say You're Sorry
One of the more memorably ridiculous lines in literature comes from a work that was popular in my childhood- Love Story– in which the...
Natti Natti
Sep 1, 20133 min read
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Army Values and Jewish Values- Yom Kippur 5773
One hundred fifty years ago, almost to the day, the first Rabbi was commissioned as a chaplain in the United States Army. Last year, a...
Natti Natti
Sep 28, 20129 min read
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Passover, Plagues, and the Contemporary Water Crisis
Drought leads to famine, which leads to migration, which leads to civil unrest and political upheaval, which leads to violence, water...
Natti Natti
Jun 8, 20123 min read
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Memorial Day: Freedom is Not a Gift From Heaven
The scene: Kandahar Airfield Chapel. The occasion, a memorial ceremony for Private Jason Hasenauer. The voice of the First Sergeant from...
Natti Natti
May 29, 20122 min read
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Fervor of Maccabees Defeated Mighty Army
The holiday of Hanukkah invites reflection on themes of war and peace. Changes in the nature of warfare can be quantitative and/or...
Natti Natti
Dec 16, 20113 min read
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Avinu Malkenu / Chaplain (Colonel)
Avinu/Malkenu- Our Parent, Our Ruler- We approach God, first and foremost, as a loving parent, hoping for indulgence, mercy,...
Natti Natti
Oct 7, 20112 min read
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