Contemporary Life

A year ago when we celebrated Pesach, I don’t think we realized that we were actually ENTERING Egypt, Mitzrayim, the narrow place, the place of confinement.   A year later, we read the Haggadah [...]

Alex Trebek and Parshat Bo Rabbi Bonnie Koppell   You may have missed a sad, recent event in the news.  Overshadowed by current events, the death of Alex Trebek, long time host of [...]

New Year’s Day 2021- Chazak, Chazak. . . Rabbi Bonnie Koppell   Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek- that’s what we’ll say at the end of this week’s parsha, and it seems to be a good prayer [...]

Judaism and Christianity:  A Rabbi’s Christmas Sermon Rabbi Bonnie Koppell Temple Chai- Phoenix, Arizona Dec. 25, 2020   It’s impossible to ignore today’s date.  December 25th.  As a [...]

September 11, 2020          It’s Sept. 11th.  You just can’t ignore that date.  Or maybe you can?  It’s hard to believe it was 19 years ago, [...]

         I want to invite you to take a breath.  A deep breath.  Let it out slowly and luxuriously.  Pause now, and, at your leisure, inhale [...]

Talk delivered at Community Church of the Verdes, 27 January, 2020, Rabbi Bonnie Koppell          Well, it is a daunting task that you have set for [...]

         Is it kosher to interrupt someone?  According to an article by Kira Bindrim, “There are times when it’s okay to interrupt someone.  If [...]

  Senator John McCain   “How mighty ones have fallen.”  (II Samuel 1:25)  John McCain served the people of Arizona as our elected representative in Washington, DC, [...]

    Do you remember when a hack was the term for a taxi or other vehicle available for hire? Or when you could or couldn’t hack a challenging situation? Or when someone with no obvious [...]