Rabbi Andrea’s Sermon About Chanukah, and about the Palestinian Flags With a note on bowling You know the joke, right? What are Jewish holidays really about? They’re all the same, and they all go something like this: “They tried to kill us. They failed. Now let’s eat.” It’s simple, it’s a little dark, and let’s be honest. it’s also more than a little true. The origins of many of our festivals lie in danger, survival, and relief. And each time, the Jewish people respond not wi

Stories that we refuse to erase   This week, with Parashat Vayetze, we meet Jacob at the threshold of exile. He leaves home abruptly, stepping into a world where welcome is conditional and where someone else holds the power to tell the story. He is fleeing danger, uncertainty, and family fracture. And it is exactly in that moment, alone, lying on the ground with only a stone beneath his head, that Jacob dreams the dream that will accompany his descendants throughout all of Je