Rabbi Arthur Weiner

Last Shabbat marked the beginning of Rabbi Avram Kogen's 14th year of service to the Jewish Community Center of Paramus/Congregation Beth Tikvah. As I have done for many years, I would like to publicly thank Rabbi Kogen for all his many contributions to the religious life of our congregation. For the past 13 years Rabbi Kogen has served our congregation with distinction as our Torah reader on Shabbat and 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 many of our religious services. He has served as a High Holiday Chazzan . He is a friendly and welcoming face at our Shabbat services who eagerly greets 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 knowledge of Jewish texts, his warm and caring personality and absolute commitment to our congregation. We are grat...

The Torah has been the bedrock of Jewish life, law and civilization for over 3000 years. Yet, the oldest nearly complete copy of the Hebrew Bible is only 1100 years old. It's known as the Codex Sassoon . You may have read about it recently. In May, Alfred Moses, super lawyer, diplomat, philanthropist, and Jewish communal leader, purchased this rare and magnificent copy of the Bible for the staggering sum of $38.1 million. If that wasn't amazing enough, he immediately donated it to the ANU Museum of the Jewish People on the campus of Tel Aviv University (formerly known as Beit HaTzfu'tzot , the Diaspora museum) a "must stop" on any visit to Israel! The Codex Sassoon is named for its most prominent modern owner, David Solomon Sassoon, a collector of Judaica and Hebrew manuscripts. The Codex Sassoon contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible and is only missing 12 2-sided pages (approximately 10 chapters of the Book of Genesis). According to scholars, it was...

It's unveiling season. It feels like I'm at the cemetery almost every Sunday conducting these important services. In my discussions with families who are planning an unveiling for a loved one, I am noticing that many are unfamiliar with some of the history, traditions and observances that are associated with this important ceremony. So this week, I would like to educate the community about some of the more important aspects of this observance. The use of a monument, generally referred to as a family stone, foot stone, headstone, or tombstone, is an ancient custom. The original reference to it in Jewish sources can be found in the book of Breesheet ( Genesis 35:20), reminding us of our forefather, Jacob, who erected a matzeveh , a stone pillar to mark the grave of our matriarch Rachel. Indeed, Kever Rachel , the place of Rachel's death, is a significant religious site in Israel to this day. There is another reference to it in the Mishnah ( Shekalim 2:5) that teach...