As we approach the end of another academic year, I find myself reflecting on the journey of Jewish identity within the context of college campuses. This reflection is particularly poignant for me as a parent, with one daughter just having …
When I was a kid, my Dad told us stories about having to fight his way to Hebrew school every week because the kids in his tough Brooklyn neighborhood hated the Jews. I learned about the Shoah in the age-inappropriate …
On March 10, 2024 baby Samatha Rose (Sarah Leah) was welcomed into her family and into our RSNS community at her naming ceremony in our sanctuary. Granddaughter of Dinah and Marc Kramer and daughter of Rachel and Scott, Samantha touched …
One of my favorite parts of being the cantor at RSNS is getting to lead Shabbat with our Gan Shalom kids. They bring to the experience their whole selves – their energy, innocence, wisdom, and silliness which I can only …
by Rabbi Jodie Siff
Who are you when you come to Berlin and who are you when you leave Berlin? The essential question our guide Julian asked us when we were trying to synthesize our experience. Every interaction is a …
by Rabbi Lee Friedlander
Dear Friends,
If Emily Dickinson could write, “There is no Frigate like a Book / To take us Lands away,” then the Pesah Haggadah might well be compared to a Time Machine that takes us back …
by Rebecca Hirschwerk – Director of Congregational Education
When I was still working part-time at RSNS and part-time at the Nassau County Museum of Art, something magical happened. First I’ll say that some of my favorite moments over my years …
by Rabbi Jodie Siff
As we approach the festival of Purim, I am reminded of the timeless lessons embedded within the narrative of the Book of Esther (I am also reminded of the huge blow up slide in the sanctuary …
by Cantor Eric Schulmiller
When I came into my office, it was sitting on my desk – a tiny, red, invitation to creativity: a pocket-sized Etch A Sketch. My thank-you to Adrienne for the amazing Chanukkah gift was a drawing …
by Rabbi Lee Friedlander
Dear Friends,
In an article titled “Does Peace Have a Chance?” published in the most recent edition of Foreign Affairs, Martin Indyk, former U.S. ambassador to Israel in the Clinton Administration, and past Middle East advisor …
