Raise your hand if you’re feeling just slightly unsettled. Or more than just slightly. OK, good – I’m glad it’s not just me. It has been another rollercoaster of a news cycle this week, from threats to destroy an entire civilization to a fragile semi-ceasefire. What will the president do next? Will the war resume? Will there be a global financial crisis? Will gas ever be less than $6.00 a gallon?

At last week’s temple board meeting, we were hearing an update on the plans for the community seder (next Thursday evening – please sign up if you haven’t yet!), and we came to the question of hiring security guards for the evening. You won’t be surprised to hear that there was a range of opinions on the subject, with strong feelings expressed on all sides. I thought to myself, how sad it is that we have to spend our time on this conversation, that we live in a world where Jews and Jewish instit

For those of you who went to religious school or cheder as children, I’d like you to think back and try to remember what part of the Torah you first learned. Was it the Sh’ma? The Ten Commandments? Love your neighbor as yourself? Chances are, your religious school started at the beginning of Genesis, with the account of creation, followed by Adam and Eve, maybe Cain and Abel, and so forth.