werk's words of wisdom
February 2017
Take Care of Yourself
It’s here — that nasty cold and flu season. (Don’t forget to get your flu shot!) I find this time of year hard to navigate. Attendance at classes and programs is sporadic, and from the students and congregants who do show up, you hear lots of sneezing and coughing, with tissues...Read more...
Lights, gratitude, action!
December 2016
The American winter holiday season challenges us to con-front our relationship to consumerism, gratitude, and action. We are overwhelmed with the “shopping frenzy” sur-rounding the holidays and the need to buy, buy, buy.
Shopping has become a form of entertainment in the stores, on the computer, and even on the phone: It is an expectation of this time of...Read more...
A meaningful, creative Shabbat for your family
November 2016
Are you looking for meaning and purpose for you and your family? Are you craving unplugged time? Real conversation? Go back to the basis of Judaism and con-sider adding Shabbat ritual to your family life.
Consider this:
The Sabbath
“The meaning of the Sabbath is to
Celebrate time rather than space.
Six days...Read more...
Walking the walk on Yom Kippur
October 2016
“Sorry,” “Sorry,” “Sorry” We have all heard it, said it, and wondered which of the sorries that we deliver and receive are really sincere? What is our tone of voice when we say, “I am sorry”? What is a true apology? Our tradition teaches us that only when a person says that he or she is sorry, feels remorse, pledges not to do it again, and then, given the same situation,...Read more...
Facing new beginnings
September 2016
What a summer! So much was going on the past couple of months, it was hard to keep track. Besides the per-sonal experiences of catching up with friends, enjoying the beach, wandering through museums, trolling through beauti-ful gardens, and eating a lot of ice cream, there was also so much news to absorb about our country and the world: The presidential campaigns and party conventions,...Read more...
Roadway to mitzvot
June 2016
I drive on Passaic Avenue at least once a day; I go to ShopRite, fill up the car with gas, or just stop by Dunkin’ Donuts for a coffee. And every time I am on Passaic Avenue I hunt for “mitzvot,” commandments. Why? Well, the offi-cial route number of Passaic Avenue just happens to be 613, the precise number, we are taught, of mitzvot in the Torah.
So as I drive on Passaic Avenue, I can’t help...Read more...
Gather round the campfire
May 2016
I love campfires — the savoring of tasty s’mores, baked potatoes, and roasted corn; singing songs while some-one strums a guitar; sharing stories old and new; and hud-dling and cuddling with good friends. It all feels great.
Every time I sit with friends around a bonfire it brings back a flood of memories: of the Girl Scouts, Camp Ramah, and, yes, Israel. Hiking, camping, and bonfires are part of...Read more...
Passover’s coming! Let’s get ready!
April 2016
Passover is fast approaching! Let’s get ready. Remember: I am available to consult on your Passover needs: Haggadah suggestions, creative seder ideas, even recipes!
Pre-Passover prep
Begin to make Jewish memories before the seder. All theseactivities can be done with your children or grandchildren:
Read more...
Celebrating a community-inspired holiday
March 2016
The Jewish calendar is rich with holidays. In the Torah, we receive Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and our weekly Shabbat. God announces the holidays, gives a description, and provides the rituals; later on the rabbis add the details of how to celebrate. So there is wonder at how Purim; Chanukah later; and, in recent times, Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence...Read more...
Created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God
February 2016
In Genesis1:27 we read: “And God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him, male and female.” This famous passage underscores the understanding that all of us are made b’tzelem Elohim: in God’s image. An echo of our adolescent selves, when all we wanted was to fit in, to be the same as our peers, often creates a conflict in our thinking when we meet people who look different from us and think...Read more...
What I’ve learned over a quarter-century
January 2016
Over the past 25 years at Congregation Agudath Israel, I have learned …
1. The family friendships made during the Early Childhood years journey together through all ages and stages.
2. It will take a class of threes 45 minutes to kiss the Torah scroll in the ark.
3. Halleluyah moments always include sports teams and toys.
4. Dum Dum Lollipops are “smart smart” to use as a...Read more...
Struggling with the ‘fun factor’
December 2015
Jewish educators across the nation are struggling with the “fun factor.” How do we educate a generation of youngsters who are now exposed to an unending stream of TV shows, computer games, YouTube, and an overwhelming assortment of extracurricular activities: sports, art, dance, karate, etc.? The constant question we struggle with is: How can we make religious education fun without sacrificing substance? How can we...Read more...
Blessings of home
November 2015
I entered my childhood home for the first time 50 years ago—to be precise, on Nov. 1, 1965. I remember only sketchy details of my grandparents bringing three-year-old me and my brothers at night to our new home, where my parents greeted us with excitement and delight. So I guess my first and remaining impression of my family’s home was light and a warm embrace. To this day, when I enter 95 South Madison Ave. in...Read more...
What’s in a name?
With the ending of the Tishrei holiday season we begin once again the Genesis narrative. We learn about the creation of the world; meet our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and matriarchs, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah; and learn about our special covenant with God and the Land of Israel. In the very beginning we learn the power of a name. In Genesis 2:1920, God gives the responsibility to Adam, the first human being, to name...Read more...
werks words of wisdom
September 1, 2015
Looking ahead — and looking back
This summer I had the good fortune to spend time with our congregant and friend Karen Hauss, who reminded me of a wonderful childhood memory. Like many of my genera-tion, I remember the encyclopedia salesperson coming to our door and selling my mother the full set, to be sent one volume a week. For approximately six months, a new volume would arrive each week — in...Read more...
Werks Words of Wisdom
October 23, 2014
Halloween in the truest sense is not a Jewish day - it is a celebration of All Saints Day, which is a Catholic celebration. Outside of the United States it is really a holy day for our Catholic...Read more...
