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, January 24, 2024
This Friday night, on Homecoming Shabbat, we kick off our 60th anniversary celebration. Each day this week, a member of our our clergy shares some personal Stephen Wise Temple Moments. The Talmud recounts the tale of four sages, Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Joshua, and Rabbi Akiba, who visit the Temple mount in Jerusalem to bear witness to its desolation. Upon their arrival, they began to weep, except for Akiba, who laughed. When the sages ask how Akiba could laugh at such destruction, he tells them: Since the destruction promised by the prophets came true, so, too, may the hopes promised by the prophets come true (BT Makkot 24B). Perhaps my most vivid and most cherished memory of Wise comes not from the mountaintop itself, but from the Elharizi Elementary School in Tel Aviv, where our Wise School Grade 6 students visited for several years. Each visit took place during [...]
Daily Kavanah – Tuesday, January 23, 2024
This Friday night, on Homecoming Shabbat, we kick off our 60th anniversary celebration. Each day this week, a member of our clergy shares some personal Stephen Wise Temple Moments. I have served the Wise community for 25 years, so for me to identify one Wise moment that stands out above so many borders on the impossible. Emphasizing any one would minimize the countless others. So, what follows are just a few of those experiences that have made an indelible mark on my life and the life of my family. First, the personal Our children’s educational experiences at Wise school and Milken — all celebrated by our tears of joy and pride at their graduation. Our son’s bar mitzvah and daughter’s bat mitzvah celebrated with family and friends (most of whom are long-time Wise members — many who also joined us at their weddings). The support from our Wise community upon the [...]
Daily Kavanah – Monday, January 22, 2024
This Friday night, on Homecoming Shabbat, we kick off our 60th anniversary celebration. Each day this week, a member of our clergy shares some personal Stephen Wise Temple Moments. As we celebrate 60 years since our temple's founding, I begin with a memory created by our founding rabbi. Driving the inclined road up to the temple with Rabbi Zeldin, I asked him, "When you created the temple, could you have imagined it could have become anything like this?" His reply, "David, I pinch myself every time I drive up." So should we. Through our Center for Jewish Life, there have been many Stephen Wise Temple Moments. One that is especially memorable is the evening with Elie Wiesel. Our sanctuary was overflowing, with extra chairs everywhere. As he entered from the main doors, some 1,500 congregants stood, eyes fixed on this extraordinary man, as they erupted in applause. He looked around, acknowledged the crowd [...]
Daily Kavanah – Friday, January 19, 2024
A few years ago, right before the pandemic, I met the Pulitzer prize-winning author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, at a writers conference in Rancho Mirage. She was speaking about her book, “Leadership: In Turbulent Times,” which focuses in part on the way great leaders use stories to communicate their messages.I was wearing a name badge that included my title and, when I spoke to her, she mentioned something to me about the Jewish genius of remembering our past through stories.I thought about that conversation when I was studying this week’s parasha, Bo.We are commanded multiple times in the portion to remember and retell the story of our exodus from Egypt:וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָעָ֗ם זָכ֞וֹר אֶת־הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצָאתֶ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִ֧יא יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה…׃And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, on which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how the ETERNAL freed you from [...]
Daily Kavanah – Thursday, January 18, 2024
It has been over 100 days since Oct 7 and the abduction of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Wise has created this beautiful prayer and song to express our solidarity with the hostages and their families and our fervent desire for a safe return. On The Egyptians and the Israelites[i] The best way to capture the Bible’s account of the relationship between the people of Israel and the Egyptians is: “It’s complicated.” Though the predominant and memorable image is one of cruel enslavement as portrayed in the Exodus account, elsewhere in the Bible, Egypt is a place of refuge. Abraham — as well as Jacob and his extended family — find safety in Egypt. Would-be Israelite kings flee to Egypt to escape their vengeful kinsfolk and often ally with Egypt against their enemies. Most importantly, we know of a significant ancient Jewish presence on the island of Elephantine in the upper Nile as early as [...]