Wise Words
Writings of reflection by the Stephen Wise Temple clergy.
Each Monday morning, members of our mailing list receive the weekly email “This Week at Wise,” and on Fridays, a “Shabbat Shalom” email from Rabbi Yoshi which include messages of thought, inspiration, and contemplation from our clergy, along with a schedule of events. Sign up and don’t miss out!
Wise Words – Monday, March 23, 2026
Proximate Holidays, Parallel Narratives: The Stories of Esther and Moses Speak to Our Times There are approximately thirty days between Purim and Passover, and although these holidays are set in dramatically different historical periods, their stories share notable similarities that make them particularly relevant today. Both stories originate in the Hebrew Bible, which is largely set in the land of Israel. However, the central figures—Esther and Moses—exist entirely outside of Israel. Their narratives are distinctly diaspora stories, illustrating what it means to be Jewish in foreign lands and the challenges inherent in diaspora life. Despite initial reluctance, both Esther and Moses ultimately become saviors of their people. According to the stories, Moses was born into slavery in Egypt, while Esther came from an ordinary background as a Persian Jew. Despite their humble origins, they rose to greatness. Moses’s journey to the Egyptian royal court is well known. He remained [...]
Shabbat Shalom – Friday, March 20, 2026
As a kid growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, March 17 meant remembering to wear something green to school—or risk getting pinched by a classmate. Today, that date carries a very different and far more meaningful resonance for me: it marks the birth of our synagogue’s namesake, Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise. Born in Budapest in 1874 into a long line of rabbis, Wise emigrated to America with his family at the age of two. His first pulpit was in Portland, Oregon, where he saw firsthand the devastating effects of child labor. He became a vocal advocate for children forced to work instead of attend school, a commitment that grew into a lifelong dedication to protecting the vulnerable. He went on to help found both the NAACP and the ACLU. Yet his universal commitments were always held alongside a deep devotion to the Jewish people and their well-being. Wise was a lifelong [...]
Wise Words – Monday, March 16, 2026
Memory is central to Judaism, as evidenced by the six specific commandments of remembrance in the Torah. Memory is important for many reasons, including helping us to understand our origins and evaluate our moral progress or regress. And memory can be a way to express gratitude, as memory serves as a vital reminder that without those who preceded us, we would not have many of the blessings in our lives. Judaism helps our people remember by commemorating significant historical events and providing ways to observe them. Passover, less than three weeks away, commemorates liberation from Egyptian oppression. Shavuot marks receiving the Torah at Sinai. In modern times, we added holidays like Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. We also have ways to ensure we remember the significant people who shaped the Jewish future. So important were the first families in Judaism, our daily Amidah prayer begins, Blessed are You, Adonai our God… God [...]
Shabbat Shalom – Friday, March 13, 2026
Exodus begins in trauma. A Pharaoh comes to power who willfully forgets Joseph, forgetting that one of the Jewish people was the architect of Egypt's salvation.Oppression follows. Then murder.And then, finally, the struggle for liberation led by three remarkable siblings: Moses, Miriam, and Aaron.Struggle and suffering—for our Israelite ancestors, to be sure, but also for Pharaoh and all Egypt—lead finally to freedom at the shores of the sea.And then the Israelites arrive at the purpose of their liberation: Sinai, the moment when they receive the law, sacred obligations that bring meaning to their lives.But freedom is not enough.Responsibility and meaning are not enough.The rest of the book of Exodus is about something else: building something beautiful and holy together, giving back to God and to the community itself.This Shabbat we read of the project’s completion. The Tabernacle—the portable sanctuary our ancestors carried with them through all those years of wandering—is [...]
Wise Words – Monday, March 9, 2026
Each morning, after reciting the Sh’ma upon waking, my thoughts turn first to the children and families whose daily routines have been disrupted—missing school and waiting in bomb shelters—as this uncertain chapter unfolds. In these moments, as the conflict continues across the Middle East and the future feels unclear, our community holds loved ones close in our hearts—family and friends in Israel and in Iran whose lives are touched by fear and instability. Jewish tradition offers a powerful teaching from the Psalms: "בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ" Bakeish shalom v’rodfeihu — Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34). The rabbis teach that peace is so precious that it must be pursued. Sometimes peace comes to us, but more often we must run after it—refusing despair and refusing indifference, committing ourselves again and again to the sacred work of building a more whole and compassionate world, a world free of antisemitism, tyranny, baseless hatred, and [...]