Rabbi's Column - March 2026

Dear Friends,

In 1941, Nazi sympathizers destroyed a window at Chicago’s Anshe Emet Synagogue. In response, Senior Rabbi Solomon Goldman commissioned what is now called the Liberty Window. The beautiful stained glass depicts immigrants peering over a ship rail as they enter New York harbor, in search of a new life.

It was a remarkable decision to include American iconography on the same plane as texts from Torah and the Prophets. But Rabbi Goldman — a notable scholar, Zionist leader, and visionary community-builder — saw it as an opportunity to double down on the congregation’s values. He believed that the American Jewish experience was as significant in the story of the Jewish people as our Biblical origins.

Rabbi Goldman’s grandson, Rabbi Danny Zemel, is an equally bold leader. He is also an important mentor to Susan and me. Many of you remember Rabbi Zemel from the special weekend he spent as our scholar-in-residence four years ago. I am delighted that he will visit us once again for Shabbat on March 20th-21st.

Rabbi Zemel has taught me so much about Judaism, synagogue excellence, and menschlichkeit. Over several decades, he shaped Temple Micah (Washington, DC) into one of our country’s visionary congregations. One of the things that inspires me about Danny is his insistence on a deeply examined, joyfully realized life as fully Jewish and fully American. Grandpa Goldman’s vision lives deeply in him. As a friend of Danny’s who shares his Chicago Jewish pride (though we do differ on baseball teams), Grandpa Goldman’s story lives in me, too. This heritage seeds an insatiable curiosity: who are we? What are we here to do? How does our past inform our future? How can we maintain our pride amid the rising tide of antisemitism? What must we build for the future? What is our Jewish story?

These are some of the questions that Rabbi Goldman confronted boldly, literally placing them front and center in Anshei Emet’s sanctuary. You see, at the same time that the vandalism was repaired, he also commissioned a beautiful skylight. It reads, “All men [sic.] are created equal, a mirror image of the accompanying text from Genesis that proclaims that all humanity was created in God’s image (Genesis 1.26). The Bible and the Declaration of Independence, side by side; two aspirational concepts held in harmony.

The promise of America is a vital chapter in the Jewish story. Over the next year, I hope we will consider that story more deeply as a congregation. I hope we may consider how the privileges and responsibilities of this precious existence ramify for us today. Rabbi Zemel will help us to begin the conversation. I hope to see you there!

Shalom,

Rabbi Moss

President's Column - March 2026

Dear Friends,

As we enter March, we find ourselves approaching one of the most spirited and surprising moments in the Jewish year: Purim, which we will celebrate on Monday, March 2 at 6:30 PM. Purim is a holiday of masks and merriment, but beneath the costumes lies a profound teaching about what it means to reveal our truest selves.

The rabbis point out that the Megillah is filled with hiddenness, G-d’s name never appears, Esther conceals her identity, and the turning points of the story unfold quietly, almost imperceptibly. Yet Purim is also a holiday of revelation. Esther ultimately steps forward, choosing to be fully seen at the moment it matters most. Her courage reminds us that sometimes the most powerful transformations begin when we allow what is hidden to come into the light.

That message feels especially resonant in our community right now.

Over the past months, I’ve watched so many of you reveal your own gifts, your time, your creativity, your presence, your generosity. Some of these contributions are public; many happen quietly, behind the scenes. But together, they shape the vibrant, welcoming, resilient synagogue we are building every day. Like the Purim story itself, our strength emerges from the countless acts of commitment that might not always be visible, but are always deeply felt.

And of course, Purim is also a time for pure, unfiltered joy. I’m already looking forward to celebrating with all of you at our Megillah reading, with my large, homemade wooden grogger that I crafted as a child. It has survived many moves, many Purims, and more than a few enthusiastic spins. I’m thrilled that our cantorial soloist, Rachel Policar, will be joining us that evening, bringing her incredible spirit and energy to our celebration.

This month also brings an opportunity to carry that joy and connection into another cornerstone of our community life. On Saturday, March 21 at 6:30 PM, we will gather for our 3rd Annual TBT Gala Celebration & Auction. This evening has quickly become one of the highlights of our year, a night filled with laughter, community, and the unmistakable energy that makes TBT feel like home.

The gala is also essential to our financial health. The funds raised help sustain our synagogue and support our programming. If you are able to contribute an auction item, a vacation home, tickets, a special experience, or something uniquely yours, your generosity will make a meaningful difference. And of course, I hope you will join us for the celebration itself. It is a night that captures the very best of who we are. Details and registration can be seen here.

Purim teaches that joy is not a distraction from responsibility; it is a pathway to it. When we laugh together, when we gather in celebration, when we choose to show up for one another, we strengthen the bonds that carry us through every season.

As we prepare for Purim and look ahead to our gala, may we each find the courage of Esther, the generosity of Mordechai, and the joy that comes from being part of something larger than ourselves. May this month reveal new possibilities for connection, purpose, and hope.

Chag Purim Sameach, and I look forward to celebrating with you throughout this meaningful month.

B’shalom,

Josh Broder, TBT President

Temple Educator’s Column - March 2026

Let all who are hungry come and eat…

Mr. Sered insisted we learn how to read the prayer in the original Aramaic:

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְאַרְעָא.

ך יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח 􀉜 .דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִי

Ha lachma anya di achalu avhatana b’arah d’mitzrayim.
Kol difchin yeitei v’yeichol, kol ditzrin yeitei v’yifsach.

We liked Mr. Sered. (He looked weird to us sixth graders. Looking back he looked a lot like Kurt Vonnegut.) This was painful. Why did we need to learn ANOTHER language, even if it used the same letters as Hebrew?

I realize now, many years later, what his point was. It was not about the language. It was about the idea that no matter what language we speak, no matter where we wander as Jews, we have an obligation to remember and to act on that memory. We remember that we were strangers in a strange land, slaves in Egypt who suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are commanded to use that memory to inform our actions. We are commanded to share our meals with those who do not have enough.

I am grateful for the work of our Social Justice Committee that has focused our congregation’s efforts on addressing those suffering food insecurity in our community. They have urged me to make it a part of the learning in our Religious School.

As I write these words, Passover is a scant six weeks away. We are commanded to remember and to act. I invite you to consider how we can act on that memory in our own homes. Perhaps invite someone in need to your seder. Maybe contribute time and money to the several institutions in our community that feed those in need like the Community Dining Room in Branford or the Pauline Baldwin Food Pantry in Madison – just to name two places. Have a family conversation about how your family might best remember and act on this Mitzvah.

We are Reform Jews. That means we have accepted the responsibility of examining our heritage and finding ways to make meaning that works for us. I do not believe it means “we don’t have to.”

So, as we get ready to once again be redeemed from Egypt, let’s remember that we were once slaves and we still have a lot of folks in our world who need redemption.

L’Shalom,

Ira J. Wise, DJRE,
Temple Educator

Rabbi's Column - February 2026

Dear Friends,

Have you ever gone swimming in February? I used to take my youth group students on a winter visit to the local pool. There’s something so satisfying about splashing around while the snow gusts and the wind howls on the other side of the window. If I’m honest, there’s probably a little schadenfreude there, too. But mostly, it’s just like a warm bath on a cold day.

Susan and I recently took our son to an indoor waterpark, and we got to experience the delight through his eyes. This one had a splash pad, a lazy river, and waterslides. It had an outdoor hot tub, too! Every so often, someone would open the door and make a break for it, enduring a few seconds of 25 degree air to get there.

Let’s just say that that part was not for me. The lazy river was more our speed. I’ve never done a polar plunge, but I can understand the appeal: the shock to the system; the burst of endorphins; truly a thrill. To each their own!

On a soul-level though, we all need both the lazy river and the polar plunge. Humans crave stability and comfort. But sometimes when we’re already there, it can be hard to get out of the lazy river! (Just try extricating yourself from one of those tiny tubes with a modicum of dignity.) The pull between stasis and change is a lot like what we do at TBT. We “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

This dialectic is the essence of the ancient Rabbi Tarfon’s famous teaching, lo alecha ham’lecha ligmor… “It is not upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it,” (Mishnah Avot 2:16). Rabbi Tarfon embodies that delicate tension between comfort and agitation to action. The first half reminds us that the world’s repair doesn’t rest solely on our shoulders. It’s a message many of us need to hear in a turbulent world. Yet the second half gives a gentle jolt—an inner polar plunge—insisting that comfort cannot become an excuse for inaction. Rabbi Tarfon’s teaching holds both truths in tension, urging us to find steadiness without stagnation; discernment without disconnect.

We are confronted daily with horrors and sorrows too numerous to process, or even really to count. Nu? So? What do you need at this moment? Are you in the lazy river, or are you freezing your tuches off in an ice bath? It’s not a good idea to stay in either place for too long.

If we’re honest, the world keeps pulling us out of the lazy river whether we’re ready or not. One such moment is before us now. Leaders of the major Jewish Denominations of North America recently issued a joint letter, from which I excerpt here:

…leaders of the Reform, Conservative/Masorti, and Reconstructionist Movements of Judaism condemn, in the strongest terms, the violence with which the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing American immigration law—above all, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as in cities and towns across the nation. Many Americans are deeply disturbed as they see their neighbors targeted for detention and deportation in their homes, at work, at their schools, and at their houses of worship. They are deeply concerned about numerous accounts of the use of intimidating and violent detention tactics, dangerous and unhealthy holding facilities, lack of appropriate warrants or due process, and wrongful apprehension of US citizens or individuals with proper visas based on appearance or language. [...]

Immigrants are members of our congregations, our families, and people with whom we interact in our broader communities. American Jews cherish our own families’ immigration stories. We recall that, like many being expelled from America today, we or our ancestors came to this country to escape oppression and find opportunity. That is why so many Jewish congregations, rabbis, cantors, and lay leaders have engaged in a variety of legal actions to protect immigrants in our midst. We grieve an American promise that seems to be no more.

TBT has pursued immigration justice for decades. Our tradition’s insistent demand to show kindness to immigrants- the Talmud counts 36 such mitzvot in the Hebrew Bible alone - makes our responsibility plain. If you wish to get involved, I hope you will reach out to me or to Robin Baslaw. Of the endless public matters in the public sphere, there is no doubt that immigration is a central Jewish concern.

The pain of a legal US resident, afraid to send their children to school, is our pain.

The humiliation of a US Citizen wrongly removed from his house in his underwear, at gunpoint, is our humiliation.

The terror of a five-year-old child, used as bait to lure his mother out of their house, is our terror.

The injustices are too numerous to count. There is no quick fix. But we must bear witness; we must stand up for what is right. Our people have been in this particular plunge into icy water so many times before. And, as Dr. King taught, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

I will be offering a Lunch-and-Learn on February 4th, 11th, and 18th on the Jewish roots of immigration justice. Simply contact the office to register.

Thank you for walking this path together, with care for our neighbors and for one another.

Shalom,
Rabbi Moss

President's Column - February 2026

Dear Friends,

As we step into February, I’ve been returning to a teaching from Parashat Beshalach, the portion we read on Shabbat Shirah. On January 30, we gather to celebrate that Shabbat of Song, the moment when our ancestors crossed the Sea of Reeds and responded not with relief alone, but with music, gratitude, and courage.

There’s a midrash that teaches that the sea did not split all at once. It opened only when one person, Nachshon ben Aminadav, stepped forward into the water. His willingness to move, even when the path was unclear, created the possibility of liberation for everyone else.

That image has stayed with me.

So much of synagogue life, and Jewish life, depends on those small, brave steps. Showing up for Shabbat.

Trying a new class. Volunteering for a committee. Welcoming a new member. Reaching out to someone you haven’t seen in a while. None of these actions is dramatic on its own, but together they create the kind of community where renewal is possible.

And I’ve been seeing that spirit everywhere at TBT. January was filled with energy, new faces joining us, longtime members reconnecting, and a sense of momentum that feels both steady and hopeful. It’s a reminder that community is not something we simply have; it’s something we continually build.

Looking ahead, we have an important opportunity to keep strengthening that foundation. On March 21, we will gather for our 3rd Annual TBT Gala Celebration and Auction. As I shared last month, this evening is not only joyful, it is essential. The funds raised help sustain our synagogue’s financial health, ensuring that our beautiful home remains strong for the next generation.

If you are able to contribute an auction item, a vacation home, tickets, a special experience, or something unique, your generosity will make a real impact. And if you’ve never participated before, this is a wonderful year to take that first step. Like Nachshon, sometimes all it takes is one person moving forward to open the way for others.

Finally, even as we nurture our local community, our hearts remain with those still waiting for safety, healing, and homecoming. Holding them in our thoughts deepens our sense of shared responsibility and reminds us that the Jewish story is always larger than any one moment or place.

This February, may we each find our own small step forward, toward connection, toward learning, toward generosity, toward one another. May we continue to rise together, adding light, strength, and hope to our community.

B’shalom,
Josh Broder, TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - February 2026

A Purim Dilemma or (Two)

The holiday of Purim always presents us with challenges. That is one of the reasons it is such a great holiday. It engages our minds. Please consider a few:

1. This year, Purim begins on the evening of March 2. Too close to the publication of the March bulletin to be helpful in your planning. So even though you are getting this email days before Tu Bishvat, I am reminding you to plan on Purim.

2. As we get older, we tend to think of Purim as a kid-centric holiday. We DO have a lot of fun with kids. However, this is actually one of our most serious as well as most festive holidays. We are celebrating events that prevented a genocide. There are anecdotal stories that immediately after the liberation of some concentration and death camps, survivors began to organize daily worship. Some journalists and GI’s who witnessed this asked the survivors how they could pray after Hitler and what they had experienced. It is said that different people said the same thing, “Hitler was nothing new to us. He was just a more successful Haman.” So let me suggest we celebrate the seriousness of our survival together.

3. A third (but not the last) dilemma is about drinking. In the Babylonian Talmud (Megillah 7b), Rava said “A person is obligated to become so intoxicated on Purim that they do not know the difference between "Cursed is Haman and Blessed is Mordecai." The clear implication is that Rava was referring to wine and actual drunkenness. This seems a bit much to many of us today.

At the same time, the most enduring of the Jewish values is Pikuach Nefesh – saving a life. We can violate every commandment to save a life, with the exception of murder, adultery and public idolatry.

It is simple to say that our understanding of the real consequences of alcoholism is better than it was to Rava’s 4th century C.E. contemporaries. I think this obligation is a challenge to us – we need to take time to examine our understanding of what it means to celebrate in ways that are healthy for us and that set good examples for our children. I love the idea that we are to be so joyful that we unbutton our inhibitions a little bit to honor Esther’s bravery and celebrate our survival. It is upon us to find ways to do that.

How to celebrate is not such a dilemma. The Mitzvot of Purim are a) to hear the story of Esther in a language you understand; b) give tzedakah and gifts to the poor and c) give mishloach manot – tasty treats – to your friends.

To address these Mitzvot:

On Sunday, March 1, we will celebrate by wearing costumes to Religious School, telling the story of Purim, eating Hamantaschen and enjoying the SALTY Purim Carnival!

On Monday, March 2, we will come together as a whole community, kids and adults for a Purim Spiel (play) and celebration.

Our Religious Activities Committee (RAC) is providing the opportunity to send Mishloach Manot to your TBT friends and family.

There should be more details elsewhere in this issue and they will also be in the weekly emails.

Join us!
L'shalom,

Ira J. Wise, DJRE, RJE
Temple Educator

Rabbi's Column - January 2026

Dear Friends,

In late December I like to reflect on the Gregorian Year gone by. 2025 was another painful year for the Jewish people — there is no denying it. But the headlines, which can be scary and demoralizing, also tend to skew our perception of the big picture. So, I am proud to present my top ten good, perhaps overlooked, Jewish News Stories of 2025.

1. A ceasefire is in place and all of our living hostages have been released. We do not know what the future holds, but this alone is reason to rejoice!

2. Palestinians protest Hamas in Gaza in a rare move. In March, Gazans organized to chant, “Shame, shame—you sold Gaza for dollars,” according to video posted on social media. “Hamas is a terrorist (group)”. “For the sake of God, Hamas Out.” “Stop the War.”

3. Gal Gadot Wins the Genesis Prize. Israeli-born actress Gal Gadot was awarded the prestigious 2025 Genesis Prize (often called the “Jewish Nobel”) for her advocacy for Israel and Jewish values during turbulent times. She pledged to donate her $1 million award to organizations supporting recovery and healing in Israel. (AP News)

4. A monumental Hellenistic‑era pyramid complex was unearthed in the Judean Desert north of Nahal Zohar, with papyri, coins, weapons and thousands of artifacts that illuminate life in the region ~2,200 years ago. Read more about this one in Archaeology Magazine.

5. And related Chanukah-adjacent news, Archaeologists completed excavation of a long, intact section of a Hasmonean‑era city wall in Jerusalem — a find tied to the Hanukkah era that offers new material links to the Maccabean period. Read more at Fox News.

6. Across the pond, two major UK Jewish movements — Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism — voted to merge into a single Progressive Judaism movement, marking historic unity and expanded collaborative vision. (The Guardian)

7. World’s First Human Spinal Cord Transplant Scheduled. In a historic medical milestone, researchers at Tel Aviv University and the biotech firm Matricelf announced the scheduling of the world's first human spinal cord transplant. The procedure uses a patient's own engineered cells to repair damaged tissue, offering unprecedented hope for reversing paralysis.

8. Locally, the Connecticut House of Representatives passed legislation by an overwhelming vote of 128-30 to create a government working group to address Antisemitism in K–12 public schools. Seven of our State’s Jewish Federations have taken the lead on the bill.

9. Red Sox Star Projected to Sign Massive 5-Year, $155M Deal after Huge Year. After securing Alex Bregman with a record $200M+ 3-y ear contract after free agency, the Red Sox are likely to go big or go home on their All-Star third baseman, who sported a Jewish star on his cap after October 7th.

10. Mossad kills bad guys with toilet paper.* I am not making this one up, although I have my suspicions as to its credulity. I have therefore included it with an asterisk. Israeli intelligence has claimed that dozens of Hamas and Hezbollah agents have died after allegedly coming into contact with toxin-treated toilet paper. Even if it’s not true, the real story of exploding pagers is unbelievable enough.

As we close out the year, none of these stories erase the grief, fear, or uncertainty that have shaped Jewish life in 2025. But they do remind us that even in a difficult season, there is resilience, creativity, courage, and unexpected light. Progress happens quietly. Headlines often gloss over hope. And our community — across continents, denominations, and generations — continues to build, to heal, and to insist on a future worth believing in.

May the coming year bring more stories like these!

Shalom,
Rabbi Moss

President's Column - January 2026

President’s Column: Rekindling Light, Renewing Commitment: Looking Ahead to 2026

As we enter January 2026, I’ve been reflecting on a teaching from the Talmud about the mitzvah of lighting the Hanukkah candles. The sages teach “ma’alin bakodesh v’ein moridin,” in matters of holiness, we ascend rather than descend. Each night of Hanukkah, we add one more candle, increasing the light in the world rather than letting it fade. It’s a simple ritual with a profound message: Jewish life is built on the belief that we can always grow, deepen, and brighten what already exists.

This year, that teaching feels especially resonant.

Just a few weeks ago, our community gathered for the most joyful Hanukkah celebrations in recent memory. Over 150 people - children, parents, grandparents, longtime members, and new faces - filled our space with song, laughter, and light. It was a powerful reminder of who we are: a community that shows up for one another, celebrates together, and creates moments of connection that linger long after the candles burn down.

And now, as we look ahead, we have more opportunities to “add light” to our shared Jewish life. On March 21st, 2026, we will come together for our 3rd Annual TBT Gala Celebration and Auction, an evening that has quickly become one of the highlights of our year. This event not only brings us joy and togetherness, it also plays a crucial role in supporting our synagogue’s financial health.

This year, we are asking for your help to make the gala stronger than ever. We are seeking contributions for both our silent auction and our live auction. Silent auction items of all kinds are welcome; for the live auction we are especially looking for vacation homes, sporting or theater tickets, special experiences, and other high-value offerings. Please reach out to our gala team at tbtgala@gmail.com for more information. They will be delighted to help coordinate the details.

And speaking of our future: as many of you know, we are still working to retire the remaining debt from our renovation. That renovation gave us a beautiful, functional, welcoming home, one that serves our children, supports our clergy and staff, and allows us to gather in meaningful ways. Now we must take the next step and ensure that this home is financially secure for the next generation. Every contribution, every pledge, every act of support helps us move closer to that goal.

In the spirit of “ma’alin bakodesh”, I invite each of us to take one step upward this year. Attend a service. Join a class. Volunteer for a committee. Support the gala. Make a meaningful donation toward our renovation debt. Reach out to someone you haven’t seen in a while. Show up, because when you do, you not only receive joy, you help create it.

Our synagogue is more than a building; it is a living, breathing community. And its strength comes from each of us choosing, again and again, to add our own light to the collective flame.

May 2026 be a year of growth, connection, and renewed purpose. May we continue to rise together, adding light upon light.

B’shalom,
Josh Broder, TBT President

Temple Educator's Column - January 2026

Temple Educator’s Column - Let’s Plant a Tree and Celebrate on February 1!

Dear Friends,

While the war in Gaza is still not fully resolved, (see footnote) Israel and the Jewish people continue to move forward and live life, as we always have. That resolve has kept us going for thousands of years. Tu Bishvat – the birthday of the trees – begins the evening of February 1, 2026. We are planning to have Yom Yisrael (lit. Israel Day) on that morning in the Religious School and for the entire congregational community. I hope you will join us for some or all of the activities!

9:30 a.m. – Noon Religious School as scheduled:

Gan – Kitah Hey (K–5th) will engage in a variety of Israel-related activities.

9:30 a.m. - Parent Schmooze in the Lobby

10:15 a.m. - Meet Maayan Amsterdamer, a living bridge to Israel

Kitot Vav – Yud Bet (6th –12th) and Adults will meet this wonderful teen who recently spent a semester in Israel at the Alexander Muss High School. She will share her experiences living outside Tel Aviv, learning and experiencing life in Israel with her classmates. This will be followed by our students singing some Israeli songs led by our music teacher, Ed Soufer.

11:15 a.m.- Noon Israeli food buffet and a variety of engaging activities.

Students will sit with their classes to eat and have more experiential learning. There will be conversation guides for adult tables, and Maayan and her parents will also be available for more conversation.

Plant a tree in Israel in honor or memory of someone – maybe yourself!

For over 100 years it has been a practice of Jewish people all over the world to contribute money to plant a tree in Israel. It is a powerful statement of connection. Trees planted through the JNF have become massive forests throughout the land, in places that were once wilderness.

To plant a tree, we ask that you use our TBT Religious School page on the JNF website. That way we can all see how many trees our community plants! Click HERE .

Finally, our individual relationships with Israel are as varied as each of us are. I hope we each have a vision of what we hope Israel is and can be. Whatever that vision is, I believe the only way we can make it a reality is to be engaged with Israel and Israelis. As Theodor Herzl said: “Im tirzu, ayn zo agadah – If you will it, it is not a dream.”

L’shalom,
Ira J. Wise, DJRE
Temple Educator

As I write this on the final day of Chanukah, there is only one hostage remaining in Gaza. Staff Sargeant Ron Gvili, a police officer was captured and killed on October 7, 2023. We pray for the return of his remains soon. And while the situation is still fluid, it feels like things are moving toward a more peaceful status quo. There is a long way to go before Israel is truly at peace.

Rabbi's Column - December 2025

Dear Friends,

If you look for the word “Chanukah” in the TaNaKh (Bible), you will be looking for a very long time! That’s because the historical events of Chanukah occurred after the TaNaKh was completed. Everything we know about the holiday therefore comes from post-biblical sources: the apocryphal books of Maccabees and the ancient Jewish-Roman historian Josephus are among the earliest. These sources describe the political repressions of a foreign Hellenistic regime and the internal political tensions of a Jewish community divided on how to —or even if to — fight back.

Generations after the Maccabees declared victory, the emerging rabbinic class had to make sense of this minor holiday it had inherited. The Talmud retells the military story with a subtly different framing:
On the twenty-fifth of Kislev, the days of Hanukkah are eight. One may not eulogize or fast. Why? When the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils there. And when the [Maccabees] overcame them and emerged victorious over them, they searched and found only one cruse of oil that was placed with the seal of the High Priest, undisturbed by the Greeks. And there was sufficient oil there to light the menorah for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit the menorah from it for eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of Hallel and special thanksgiving in prayer and blessings. (Tractate Shabbat 21b)

According to the Talmud, this miracle explains why we light candles for eight nights.

The Talmud describes another principle:
It is a mitzvah to place the Hanukkah lamp at the entrance to one’s house on the outside, so that all can see it. If one lives upstairs, one places it at the window adjacent to the public domain.

One of the most beautiful times to be in Jerusalem’s old city is during the last few nights of Chanukah, when rows upon rows of oil lamps glimmer outside each home. The light warms the ancient limestone in the most beautiful way. This precept is called pirsum ha’nes — publicizing the miracle. Unlike most other Jewish holidays, which take place in the synagogue or around the family table, Chanukah is supposed to be visible to the outside world. The miracle is meant to be shared.

What is it like to share Judaism in our day? I think most of us would say, it’s complicated! Many of our founding families have described to me that, in the 1970s, the goal was quite the opposite of publicity.

That was reflected in the architecture of the original building: cloistered, inward-focused.

Our beautifully renovated building sends a different message. The expansive glass and inviting design speak to me of Jewish pride. More importantly, this is reflected by the culture of hospitality we strive to cultivate. I simply love this about our congregation, and I hope you do too. In a time of rising bigotry and political strife, I am doubly grateful that these are our values.

To that effect, we will be placing a Chanukah menorah outside of our building this year. Please save the date for Wednesday, December 17th, when we will join together with the broader Jewish community to light the menorah. Our usual bring-your-own menorah and brisket cookoff will take place on Friday, December 19th.

Each Chanukah, We sing the ancient words, " הַ נֵּר וֹת הַ לָּל וּ, אֲ נַ חְ נ וּ מַ דְ לִ י קִ ין עַל הַ נִּ סִּ ים וְ עַל הַ נִּ פְ לָא וֹת וְ עַל הַ תְּ שׁ וּע וֹת וְ עַל הַ מִּ לְ חָ מ וֹת "(HaNeirot HaLalu, anachnu madlikin al haNisim v'al haNiflaot v'al haT'shu'ot v'al haMilchamot). We light these lights for the miracles, for the wonders, for the salvations, and for the struggles—past and present. The miracle is not just that the oil lasted, but that the Jewish spirit persevered. Every flame we kindle is an act of courage.

Even the smallest light has the power to define the entire space around it. As you share your light, remember that you are not just illuminating your own home; you are taking part in a collective, ancient endeavor to push back the shadows and affirm hope. We stand together, multiplying the light until the darkest night shines out like the dawn.

Shalom,
Rabbi Moss