For the first night of Chanukah, Temple Emanu-El’s Fifth Avenue Sanctuary steps became a beacon of interfaith harmony and joyous celebration. Rabbi Joshua Davidson and Rabbi Amy Ehrlich led the candle lighting service. Timothy Cardinal Dolan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center, Muslim-American interfaith activist Sabeeha Rehman, author …
November 15, 2023 Yesterday marked a historic day for our community and the entire Jewish people. Nearly 300,000 of us gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for the March for Israel rally, surpassing the record set by the March for Soviet Jewry in 1987. Temple Emanu-El is proud to have played our part …
Have you ever wondered about the journey of the etrog? The Bernard Museum of Judaica dives deep into this topic in time for Sukkot with its groundbreaking exhibit “Etrog: The Wandering Fruit”,which is already creating a buzz in the press.
This week, “Etrog: The Wandering Fruit” was highlighted in “A NYC exhibit explores the etrog’s journey around the Jewish world” from the New York Jewish Week (reprinted in Times of Israel) and a brief “Learn About the Etrog for Sukkot” blurb in the New York Times.
Showcasing over 100 unique etrog-related artifacts, the exhibit features contributions from 20 different lenders. Notable contributors include the Jewish Museum, the New York Botanical Garden Library, and the American Numismatic Society. The display boasts a diverse collection, ranging from etrog containers to documents about the etroger (a Yiddish term for a Jewish merchant who sold etrogs). Additionally, visitors can view illuminated pages where the etrog makes its appearance, both originals and facsimiles.
Don’t miss this fascinating exhibit, which runs September 5 – November 20 from Sunday through Thursday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
March 16, 2023 “For 25 years as a congregational rabbi in America, I have sought to strengthen Jewish identity by deepening commitment to Jewish peoplehood and the Jewish state. Though gratifying, the work has never been easy. Now developments in Israel are making it even harder.”
March 14, 2023 Tikkun Olam Volunteers and Project Leaders gathered together in Wise Hall this past Sunday, March 12, to assemble over 1200 packages containing over 15,000 items, including Passover-related goods, for communities in need during Tikkun Olam’s first Spring Mitzvah Day. We are grateful to the over 70 community members who arrived ready to …
“I am both proud and humbled to serve Temple Emanu-El, and through it the wider community. This recognition really should go to my congregation, its tireless staff, its extraordinary lay leadership and its wonderfully devoted membership, some of whom are present tonight and I thank them for being here.” – Rabbi Joshua Davidson March 9, …
Photo: Rebecca White for The New York Daily News February 27, 2023 “We will not be intimidated or cowed by those in this country who seek to do us and other minority communities harm.” – Rabbi Joshua Davidson Together in resolve, Temple Emanu-El held its 10:30 AM Shabbat Morning Service on February 25 outside on …
February 8, 2023 Since 2005, Tikkun Olam has held an annual Fall Mitzvah Day to offer help and support to our neighbors while creating community among our members. On Sunday, March 12 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, we hope you’ll join us for our first-ever Spring Mitzvah Day, as we assemble packages that contain …
Dear Friends,
We awoke this morning to the horrific news of the shooting deaths of at least ten and the injury of at least ten more during the celebration of the Lunar New Year in Monterey Park, California, a predominantly and historically Asian American community, with a sizable Latino and Hispanic population, too.
While no motivation has yet been determined for the massacre, we do not need one to feel deeply saddened for this community, or to once again acknowledge the deadly result of hate mixed with guns.
We know this tragedy comes amidst an increase in incidents of hate directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders around the country. We have seen the images on the evening news of our fellow citizens beaten and bruised and shoved to the ground.
Our hearts reach out to the wounded and the bereaved, and to all who are living in fear. But we must do more. As we walk the streets of our own city, let us keep our eyes open to what is going on around us, and be prepared to assist if possible, and certainly to report. The Jewish people knows too well the experience of being targeted for violent attack.
Last week, on Martin Luther King Day, we reaffirmed our commitment to fighting all forms of bigotry and prejudice. There is no room for it in the world Dr. King hoped to create. May that world come soon.
Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson
January 18, 2023 You may think it’s too early to prepare for Purim. For our Tikkun Olam volunteers, it’s the perfect time to assemble packages for those serving abroad. Mishloach Manot (sharing sweets) is one of the customs we enjoy the most during Purim. For many years, Tikkun Olam has partnered with JWB Jewish Chaplains …
January 3, 2023 Stitch’n Time, Tikkun Olam’s knitting and crocheting outreach program, donated 200 sets of handmade hats and scarves to Educational Alliance’s Knots of Love initiative at the Manny Cantor Center. Knots of Love collects handmade hats and scarves for families who are seeking asylum and currently housed in the Lower East Side during …
Rabbi Andy Kahn joins the Mindfulness and Mussar podcast for a discussion about the meaning of the middah of tzedek (the ethical trait of righteousness); how the story of Noah and the flood helps inform our understanding of tzedek (righteousness); and how tzedek requires “discernment from a place of compassion” — including knowing when not …
