This Sunday is Father’s Day, time set aside to celebrate the patriarchs who support our families and our community in so many generous ways. And yet, we know that our fathers are human and they are complicated—perhaps they don’t always show up in the ways we would like; perhaps they don’t always express themselves in the ways that we need; perhaps we simply didn’t have enough time with them, or we weren’t able to get to know them as wholly as we would have liked. We think of them on Father’s Day with all their imperfections and also their wholehearted attempts at sharing their genuine love with us. This week, I’m thinking of my grandfathers, Stan (pictured above holding Cantor Emma) and Ben, both United States veterans who raised three or four children and were the most tender, loving, and hilarious grandpas. My heart aches that they will never know my children, [...]

Our tradition is rich with so many different blessings, and we all have ones that—at different times—might feel particularly meaningful or relevant. One that has remained a constant favorite of mine is Asher Yatzar, our morning blessing in which we thank God for creating our bodies. We are encouraged to recite this blessing every morning upon waking, as each living day in our bodies is a gift: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה, וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים .גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ, שֶׁאִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אוֹ יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם, אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם וְלַעֲמוֹד "לְפָנֶיךָ אַפִלּוּ שָׁעָה אֶחָת. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה" , רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת "Blessed are You, God, who formed the human body with Divine wisdom, combining veins, arteries, and vital organs into a finely balanced network. Wondrous Maker and Sustainer of life, were one of them to fail—how well we are aware!—we [...]

In the United States, June 14 marks our annual celebration of Flag Day, a time set aside to commemorate the adoption of our flag and to reflect on the foundation of our nation’s freedoms. The Hebrew word for flag is דֶגֶל (degel), an anagram for the root גָּדַל (gadal), which means to grow up, to become great, or to advance. Our flag is a symbol of how far we have come since our nation’s birth and also how far we still have to go in the enormous task of repairing this fragile, precious nation and world. For me, seeing the flags of the United States and Israel on either side of the ark in our sanctuary, in our chapel, and on the hillside of our mountaintop always inspires a feeling of great hope for an even better tomorrow. Even amidst the tragic shootings of recent weeks, I pray that we [...]