Rabbi Arthur Weiner

This Shabbat, Parshat Korach marks the beginning of Rabbi Avram Kogen's 13th year of devoted service to the Jewish Community Center of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah. In honor of this anniversary I would like to again thank him for his many contributions to the religious life of our congregation. For the past 12 years Rabbi Kogen has served our congregation with distinction. His main responsibility is to serve as our Torah reader on Shabbat and many holidays. But the truth is he does so much more. He is a trusted friend and confidant to both me and Cantor Weiss. He leads and officiates many of our religious services. He has served as a High Holiday Chazzan . He has taught adult education classes. He is a friendly and welcoming face at our Shabbat services who welcomes visitors to our congregation. He is a teacher and a mentor within our community who has bonded with so many of our members over the years. Rabbi Kogen regularly inspires us with his tremendous knowledg...

  How did I get into the Jewish Divorce business?   It’s a question I have been asked often over the past 14 years.   In 2008, after three years of intensive study and exams, I was certified by the Joint Beit Din of the Conservative Movement as a Mesader Gittin , a Rabbi who is qualified to conduct Jewish divorce proceedings within the Conservative movement.   There are only about 36 Rabbis in the world (among the 1600 Rabbis throughout the world associated with Conservative Judaism) with this distinction. I consider this certification an honor and a privilege.   The training and studying to receive this certification were the most difficult and intensive professional development I have engaged in since my Rabbinical ordination in 1989.   Why did I do it?   After all, it is difficult and emotional work.   It is among the most labor-intensive tasks I Rabbis can engage in.   I did not “need” to do this training.   But there was a reason ...

I pride myself on never giving the same sermon twice. The same goes for my Shabbat messages. But every once in a while, I like to revisit a sermon or a message, especially when new information or ideas may further add to our discussion and understanding. Last December, I wrote a Shabbat message titled Don't Travel to Places Where They Hate Where They Hate You . I should tell you that this message elicited more feedback and comments than usual, with most people in agreement with my position. The sheer number of Jews who regularly travel to countries that are dangerous for Jews and hostile to Israel has always been a concern to me. I am glad to know there are others who share my misgivings. What motivated me to write the column in December was an incident in which three Israeli tourists were unlawfully detained by Turkish authorities. Given years of hostility between the Turkish government and the State of Israel, the detention of these Israeli tourists could have turned in...

  One of the most famous sections in the entire Torah is found in this week's Torah reading of Parshat Naso at the end of Chapter 6. God commands Moses to teach Aaron a special blessing which we know as the Birkat Kohanim , the Priestly Blessing. It's one of only two prescribed blessings in the entire Torah, and one of the few verses from the Torah which remain an important part of our liturgy today. Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them: May Adonai bless you and protect you! May Adonai deal kindly and graciously with you! May Adonai bestow favor upon you and grant you peace! Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:22-27) As many commentators have explained, the Kohen (priest) is not the one who is actually blessing the community. His role is vital but limited. The sole source of the blessing is God. The Kohen is the channel through which the blessing passes o...

I came across an interesting essay earlier this week.   A prominent Rabbi from Chicago wrote about the difficulty of finding the right words in the aftermath of the murder of 21 people, including 19 school children in Uvalde, Texas. To his great credit, he found them. But in his column he presented two contrasting visions of society based on last week's Torah reading of Bechukotai . One vision is of a blessed society, one that is prosperous, peaceful and secure. The other, cursed, chaotic, violent and deadly. How can we maintain our balance, our faith and our optimism when we experience both visions every day? Allow me share an idea with you which is based on the reading of the Book of Ruth, a Shavuot observance.   Please remember that Shavuot starts this Saturday night.   There is a common understanding that the Book of Ruth is a paean to the value of conversion.   When Naomi and her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah face the prospect of a future as destitute ...