“I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” Leviticus 22:32 “I will be made holy among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy.” What…
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Kedoshim 2020 I want to look at Chapter 19, verses 17 to 18. Etz Chaim translates these lines: You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him.…
Before I leave KI, I will request the library to purchase a book that is 1200 pages long, and is not likely to be read by anyone except the next rabbi and any aspiring Biblical scholars among…
Our congregation alternates between a Reconstructionist and Conservative prayerbook for our Shabbat services. While our Reconstructionist and Conservative services are essentially the same, the major differentiation is that the Reconstructionist prayerbook has made alterations to the text…
It may be hard to believe, but this is our eighth annual joint Martin Luther King service for St. Stephens and Kehillat Israel. It is also my last MLK service before I retire. I’m proud that we…
As I began thinking about this d’var this past summer, I spent a little time considering not only today’s Torah portion but also the one from yesterday as well as the culminating reading for the High Holidays,…
D’var Torah for Yom Kippur As usual, this time of day, I think: Wow, what a journey coupled with “are we there yet”? The High Holidays are always a journey within another journey. We begin with the…
D’VAR HAFTARAH FOR YOM KIPPUR 5780 Rabbi Michael Zimmerman Congregation Kehillat Israel, Lansing, Michigan contact: 517-303-1260, kirabbiz@gmail.com At Rosh Hashanah, when Steve Weiland climaxed his d’var with an ode to pot roast, all I could think…
Our parashah this week begins the story of Joseph, a man destined for greatness by virtue of his extraordinary gifts and good luck. It certainly was not his political acumen that got him into power. Quite to…
Inspired by Seven Ascents for Flute and Orchestra by Marjan Helms* Ascent # 1: There are glimpses of a lost spiritual heritage in Jewish practice. We find it in the psalmist’s glorious depictions of nature and the…