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 – Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Throughout my childhood, my dad would periodically share with me and my brother, Lee, about where he was and what he was doing when he heard that John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King had been shot. These seemed like distant horrors, things that could not happen in my time. I didn’t fully understand… I’ll never forget that morning. It was my second week as a freshman in high school. I was getting ready for the day, brushing my teeth next to Lee, and we heard our mom scream from the other bathroom. We ran to her and her face was whiter than we had ever seen it, rattled and aghast. “They flew airplanes into New York,” she said, calmly but painfully. “Terrorists flew airplanes into our country, into the Twin Towers.” I didn’t fully understand, but I knew that my childhood was over. For those of us [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Every Thursday morning in our 5th and 6th grade tefillah, we sing Psalm 150. The ancient words are no stumbling block for our children–they sing with an understanding of the Hebrew with full spirits. Although they understand current events and are all too aware of the challenges we are facing, they find a way to chant with joy. Just as they did centuries ago in the halls of our ancient Temple, the words of this beautiful psalm resonate throughout the sanctuary in the voice of the next generation. Each week, my heart fills with an almost impossible but extraordinary levity and hope. Psalms are a vehicle for us to process our feelings; our anguish, our grief, while still being lifted by God, by the wisdom of our tradition, by hope and the beauty of life. I am so grateful to the contemporary voices of our tradition who continue the legacy [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, September 9, 2024
We have, each of us, drawn close to Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin as they worked tirelessly for eleven months to bring their son, Hersh, home from Gaza. Though most of us do not know them, they are people who we feel like we know; part of our extended family, part of the community of Americans who love Israel deeply, part of a community of caregivers who cannot stomach watching even one parent grieve the way Jon and Rachel have been forced to grieve. Thousands filled the streets of Jerusalem a week ago today to honor their son, Hersh. There are truly no words to describe their loss, the collective grief we all feel after the murder of these six hostages.At Hersh’s memorial, Jon shared his grief, his wisdom, his hope:Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you. You would not have failed you. You would have pushed harder for justice. You would [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, September 6, 2024
Rabbi Yoshi shared these words at our memorial for the six hostages murdered by Hamas. Just a few days after October 7th, I saw, for the first time, a post on my social media feed with his photo and a hashtag: #BringHershHome. It took me about a week to make the connection. It was the middle of the night and my wife and I weren’t sleeping well; worried sick about loved ones and friends. I was half-asleep when my wife, Jacqueline, cried out, “That’s our Rachel! It’s our Rachel!” She showed me an article in the New York Times - it was dated October 12, 2023. The by-line was Rachel Goldberg and she was writing about her son, Hersh. We realized at that moment what we should have figured out much more quickly–after all, how many Hersh’s did we know? But this one, and his family, we did. My wife ran [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, September 5, 2024
The month of Elul beckons us to craft a plan for realizing the lives we wish to lead in the year ahead. However, this week’s parashah, Shoftim, provides a poignant reminder that this month, as well as the Days of Awe, are concerned not just with our personal spiritual development, but with the development of our communal and governing institutions, as well. Shoftim contains very specific instructions regarding procedures for how the Israelites are expected to build their civilization. From guidance for judges, rulers, priests, and prophets; to laws regarding cities of refuge, municipal boundaries, and witness testimony; to rules governing the conduct of war and addressing unsolved murders–the Torah articulates specific expectations for the pursuit of justice, governance, and military conflict. Though Jewish tradition expresses grave concern for our behavior as individuals, our Torah also contains very real expectations for our behavior as members of communities. In fact, the atonement rituals [...]