Rabbi Arthur Weiner

On Wednesday, after many months of procedural delays by Senate Republicans, Dr. Deborah Lipstadt was finally confirmed as our nation’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.  Her confirmation is a welcome development for all who are concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism both in the United States, and throughout the world. Sadly, petty partisan politics blocked her nomination for too long.   The position of a special envoy to monitor anti-Semitism was created in 2004 during the Bush administration. At the end of the Trump Administration, the position was upgraded to the rank of ambassador, requiring Senate confirmation. Dr. Lipstadt, a leading authority on the Holocaust who currently serves as Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, and one of the world’s most preeminent Jewish scholars, was nominated on July 30 2021 by President Biden.   She had made a career of scholarship as well as activism against Holo...

  Each year, we send Sale of Chametz forms for you to return to the synagogue. As Passover begins three weeks from this evening, we want to provide the forms to you and make sure that everyone understands what this Mitzvah is all about, and why it is so important. You can find the form at this link Passover is far more than eating matzah , and buying special foods.  We are commanded to literally remove all chametz (leavened products) from our homes.   As the Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) commands, For seven days no leaven shall be found with you in all your territory (16:4) Once, removing chametz was relatively easy.  Until several generations ago, people rarely kept significant quantities of food in their homes.  Food production was far simpler than it is today.  Yet with improved food technologies, the advent of refrigeration, and modern food production, that has changed.  Most of us have several days, if not several weeks of food i...

  For many years, I have taught our JCCP/CBT community the Talmudic dictum " we start inquiring about the laws of Passover 30 days before Passover begins" (Pesachim 6A). Thirty days before Passover is Purim, which ended last evening. Today we should be looking forward to our next holiday.   Most years, I would be tempted to start sharing Passover information or perhaps an early Passover message with you right now, as we will soon begin to prepare for what is arguably the most important Jewish holiday of all. But not this year. Today, I would like to say one more thing about Purim. Even as we enjoy the memories of the wonderful Purim celebration we had this year, I want the congregation to think about the valuable and timeless lessons that Purim teaches and how they address the many issues that Jews face today.   There are four ideas that are worth thinking about right now. 1. The refusal of Mordechai to bow down to the wicked Haman reminds us that we must never acc...

Over the past 26 years I have asked the congregation to donate for  humanitarian concerns on dozens of occasions. Whether the need was overseas or right here in the United States, you have always responded when I asked you to support relief efforts for those who were suffering from famine, droughts, hurricanes, or earthquakes. Two weeks ago, I asked for your help for the Jews of Ukraine. Once again, you have responded generously. Sadly, as I write to you today, the need remains great. Each day the news from Ukraine grows worse. Russia's senseless, illegal, and unjust war in Ukraine has caused unbelievable suffering, with many observers comparing the destruction and upheaval to World War ll. Thousands have been killed. Indiscriminate missile attacks have destroyed homes, businesses, critical infrastructure and hospitals. Millions are internally displaced, and almost 2 million people have fled Ukraine, at the rate of over 90,000 per day. The scope of the suffering is unimaginab...

  Today is Rosh Chodesh Adar II , the beginning of the new month of Second Adar.   Rosh Chodesh provides a good opportunity to review some important aspects of the Jewish calendar that are often misunderstood by even the most knowledgeable of our congregants.   I strongly believe that in a Jewish world so often divided religiously, politically, even culturally, it is the calendar which is our greatest source of unity and common purpose.     The Hebrew year is composed of 12 lunar months (a lunar month being defined as the time between one new moon and the next), each lasting approximately 29 and ½ days.   For all practical purposes, 6 months are observed for 29 days, and 6 are observed for 30 days.   Although we are used to understanding the Jewish calendar as a lunar calendar, we also make adjustments to align it with the solar calendar as well.   What does this mean exactly?   If the Jewish calendar was a purely lunar calendar, the mont...