Ikar Los Angeles

After a week of violence, we must hear the torah of the streets of Tel Aviv. Brief reflections on the heartache and the hope.

Purim summons us to joy, but how do we access that joy when our hearts hurt from the shameful display of excessive violence this past week in Huwara? Our tradition pleads with us to linger in grief before we get to Purim, to mark a solemn day of fasting and course correction. For, the only road to real joy travels first through grief.    

Parashat Terumah 5783 Entering Adar with hearts heavy from hate, our tradition reminds us of the messages embedded from the past, and their subversive claims on our future.

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 23, 2023

This is a recording of Rabbi David Kasher's Parsha class from February 16, 2023

Throughout the Book of Exodus, one Hebrew word- in its many forms- pops up again and again, pointing to the core message of this master story.  Life can feel unbearably heavy, but you are never alone. With each other’s help, we can transform an overpowering weight into a way forward.

Parashat B'shallah - 02.04.2023 Israel is barreling toward an unrecognizable future. Let us not sleep through the revolution.

Any one of the plagues could have been the one that changed everything. But each time, just as the threat receded, so too did Pharaoh’s will to change. We, too, are addicted to the allure of the status quo. And the shootings and the police killings persist. We must be stubborn in our pursuit of progress. Unyielding. May the memories of those whose lives were taken by violence this week stir us to work toward a more just and loving world. 

Reflections on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of the Hebrew Scriptures.

In honor of Abraham Joshua Heschel’s 50th yahrtzeit, we revisit the central claims of his theology, exploring how wonder and a personal relationship with God can reorient our approach to a meaningful life.  Wonder reminds us that we are recipients of a gift, summoning us to the ultimate question: what are we to do with this gift?

Much of the time it feels like we're on a different path than what we hoped for or asked for or dreamed. What can Joseph and Betzalel teach us about the gifts of two very divergent paths? What do we learn from a path that is both short and long?

The candles in our window don’t just remind us of the miracles our ancestors experienced… they invite the world into our story. See us! we say. See our trial and our triumph, our struggle and our survival. Our story becomes real when it is held with care. And that may be the real gift, one we can give each other every day.

What would happen if we approached life with a posture of fullness rather than one of scarcity?