Daily Kavanot
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
Each weekday morning, members of our mailing list receive the “Daily Kavanah,” which includes messages of thought, inspiration, and contemplation from our clergy, along with a schedule of events. Every Thursday, the “Daily Kavanah” turns into “Eyes on Wise,” our weekly newsletter featuring the latest news, photos, videos, stories, and tikkun olam opportunities from our community. Sign up and don’t miss out!
Daily Kavanah – Monday, March 17, 2025
Founder’s Day Reflections Born on March 17, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary—Stephen Samuel Wise was basically born to be a rabbi; his family moved to America so that his father, Rabbi Aaron Wise, could become the rabbi of my former congregation, Rodeph Sholom in New York City. What was perhaps less foreseen was that he would become one of the most prominent rabbis in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. Rabbi Shirley Idelson, PhD, the author of his recent biography, credits Rabbi Wise—our namesake—with imbuing American Judaism, the Reform movement especially, with three core values: Tikkun olam (repairing the world, though Wise did not use this term). Zionism and support for the state of Israel. Klal Yisrael, a belief in the kinship and common destiny of the Jewish people ("all of Israel" in Hebrew). In addition to founding a synagogue in New York City, and also founding the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, March 14, 2025
While Rabbi Yoshi takes a brief sabbatical, we are excited to bring you a special series of guest columnists sharing their insightful Shabbat messages offering new perspectives and reflections. This week, our guest columnist is Alexsondra Shore Fixmer, Vice President of Stephen Wise Temple, member of the Executive Board, and Wise School alumna and parent. In her commentary, Alex reflects upon the Purim carnival and her earliest memories of Stephen Wise Temple, as well as a meaningful lesson from Queen Esther and our Purim story. We hope you have enjoyed this unique opportunity to learn from a variety of thought leaders. Stay tuned for more inspiring messages to come! Shabbat Shalom! Every year, like many of you, I look forward to Stephen Wise Temple’s Purim carnival which, this year, is taking place on Sunday. The noise and laughter, the rides and games, the music and hamantaschen—these have remained a [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, March 13, 2025
Purim is just around the corner! Though marked by masquerading and merriment, there are some very serious themes that lie behind the ribaldry that marks our joyous holiday. The Jews Found Light and Gladness, Happiness, and Honor לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר׃ (Esther 8:16) These six beautiful Hebrew words capture the restoration of hope and security to the Jews after Mordechai and Esther succeed in vanquishing the murderous Haman. This tale of near annihilation, of the fortuitous rescue of the Jews through luck and guile, is not a story told just once. It’s a feature of Jewish history. My grandmother’s actions (told here) are not unique. Quite the contrary. Throughout history, the actions of a few enable the redemption of many. And, tragically, far too many slip from the grasp of salvation. In an irony of eponymy, just swap the “n” in Haman for an “s” to reflect our [...]
Daily Kavanah – Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Purim is just around the corner! Though marked by masquerading and merriment, there are some very serious themes that lie behind the ribaldry that marks our joyous holiday.Life in the DiasporaOver the past year I’ve received requests from several individuals to document their Jewishness so that they might gain citizenship in Israel. While I’m happy to encourage aliyah to Israel and remain very proud of our community members who commit themselves to strengthening the Jewish nation, what surprised me this time was that a few of the requests came from people who felt that it was safer for Jews to live in Israel than the United States. This despite the fact that Israel had been actively at war.When I visited my friends in Israel over this past year, each of their homes had a reinforced, munitions-resistant saferoom with a special air filter to block airborne poisons. Now, my home has a gate, [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Purim is just around the corner! Though marked by masquerading and merriment, there are some very serious themes that lie behind the ribaldry that marks our joyous holiday. The Jewish Future is Always Tenuous At its core, the Purim story is a tale of antisemitism. “There is a certain people….” says Haman, as he spreads calumnies about the Jews. As the classic preamble for any antisemite, those words impugn all Jews with qualities and conduct that undermines the integrity of a nation. More likely it is the antisemite who broadly and falsely ascribes qualities to the Jews that are his or her own. Haman may have been the first, but tragically, he was not the last. I wish that the title of this piece was hyperbole, but sadly, it is a statement of fact. There is not one community where Jews have lived that has given us full stability and [...]