From the Clergy
Bravery and Courage
February 26, 2025
By Rabbi Greg Harris. I often use the words “bravery” and “courage” interchangeably. Recently, I have been thinking about the differences between these attributes. I read someplace that bravery is …
Celebrating Inclusion
February 7, 2025
By Hazzan Asa Fradkin. Here in Montgomery County, we are accustomed to acceptance, respect, and – most importantly – inclusion. We breathe it like the air around us. My wife …
If I Could Tell My Fifteen-Year-Old Self
February 10, 2022
When I was about fifteen years old, my father took me to buy tefillin. An older teenage girl at my school showed me how to wrap tefillin one day at …
Let Me Sing to God
November 17, 2021
We are excitedly preparing for Interfaith Thanksgiving this Tuesday, November 23, 7:30pm, at Bethesda United Methodist Church (BUMC). The evening will be filled with blessings of gratitude, teaching, and music. …
The Law of the Land
October 21, 2021
This week, I gathered with our affinity group for attorneys. Thirty-five of us began our morning with Talmud study. What better way to begin a day? We learned a section …
Meet Rabbi Megdal at Shul
August 6, 2021
It has been a wonderful first week with Rabbi Deborah Megdal at shul. She only began this past Monday but has already been involved in countless Zoom meetings, informal coffees …
57 Hours in Israel
June 4, 2021
If we are ‘friends’ on Facebook, you have seen my video updates from Israel. (Click here to get to my FB page for the messages.) This week, I participated in …
We Are Moses
March 25, 2021
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you …
Mad at a God I Don’t Believe In
March 5, 2021
I was recently speaking with a dad about his son’s studies for his bar mitzvah. It was a conversation I have had dozens of times during the pandemic: how many …
Seven Principles of Jewish Leadership
February 25, 2021
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you …