Rabbi Arthur Weiner

  Israel never ceases to amaze. Too often, news about Israel is confined to its security situation, its tensions with its neighbors, and its complex yet unique relationship with United States. So every once in a while, I like to remind the congregation that there’s so much more to Israel than that. Earlier this week it was reported that Israeli scientists are planning an experiment to test the possibility of growing seeds and plants on the moon. To quote the author of the article, this will be the most ambitious attempt yet at extraplanetary agriculture. This project is being sponsored by The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research of the Ben-Gurion University Israel’s harsh Negev desert. Who even knew that extraplanetary agriculture existed? As well-known, Israel is famous for developing the technology and infrastructure to grow food in some of the most arid regions on earth. That’s how Israel’s pioneers “made the desert bloom.” Israel has shared its know-how, resource...

  It's time to cut Israel some slack. Israel is no stranger to criticism. Indeed, those of us who follow Israel on a regular basis are rightly horrified by the amount of criticism regularly directed at it from various quarters, criticism that that often veers into anti-Semitism. That's an important issue and concern, one that I have addressed and will continue to address. But that's not what is on my mind this week. What is on my mind is the amount of criticism leveled at Israel recently by its friends, its supporters, and its fervent backers. As I have shared on many occasions, I believe that in most cases it is the responsibility of Israel's friends and advocates to support the decisions of the democratically elected government of Israel, whatever that government happens to be. I say that because there will be governments in Israel that may promote policies in greater accord with our hope and vision for Israel, and at other times, governments that promote poli...

Shemini Atzeret , which begins this Sunday night, is one of the four times of the year we recite the series of prayers called the Yizkor service . Yizkor  (Hebrew, literally "remember") is a mourning service recited by those who have lost a parent or a loved one.  Yizkor  is recited on Yom Kippur, on the eighth day of Sukkot ( Shemini Atzeret ), on the last day of Passover, and on the second day of Shavuot. The earliest source for  Yizkor  is in the  Midrash Tanchuma ,  which cites the custom of remembering the departed on Yom Kippur and pledging charity on their behalf. The Ashkenazi custom of reciting  Yizkor  on the festivals began during the Crusades when massacres wiped out many Jewish communities. The central part of  Yizkor  is the paragraph beginning with the words  Yizkor Elohim  (may God remember). Our siddurim (prayer books) have individualized paragraphs to be recited for a deceased mother, father, m...

  I think we can all agree that the weather on Yom Kippur was terrible.   It was colder than usual, and rained all throughout Tuesday night and Wednesday.   But we were indoors, so it’s impact on the service and our observance was minimal. We have far more at stake, as far as the weather goes, when it comes to the observance of Sukkot, especially its most prominent observance, the mitzvah (commandment) to spend time and eat our meals in the Sukkah.   A Sukkah by its very nature is supposed to be fragile and temporary. It offers little to no protection against the elements. I remember one year in college it actually snowed on Sukkot!   But that’s the point. For eight days we acknowledge that there is randomness in the world. There’s danger. And sometimes even the foundations of our homes, or for that matter our lives, are threatened. Despite our best intentions we cannot plan or prevent everything.   So we must find ways to not only live, but also celebra...