Rabbi Cooper's Letters

Dear Friends,

Those who have met Rabbi Avi Skorka understand the extraordinary person and figure he is. His personal and close relationship with Pope Francis, however, is not the only way to explain the value he brings to us.  Although that connection began in Argentina, it has grown into a close friendship, one which has proved invaluable to the Jewish community.  Beyond the role he plays as the Pope’s Rabbi, advisor and friend,...Read more...

On Thursday night, news about the shooting in Tel Aviv filtered through the country. Within minutes, it seemed, the entire country was glued to TV sets, computers and cellphones, watching in real time, as the story of the gunman who killed three and wounded 5 emerged.  As I watched the crowds on television, standing in the street, accompanying the police in their house-to-house search for the gunman, praying that the lone gunman...Read more...

December 1, 2021 / 27 Kislev 5782

Dear Friends,

A quick math problem to solve: How many weeks would it take to complete the following classical Jewish texts, if one studied one chapter each week: the entire Bible + the entire Mishnah + the first seven of the fourteen major volumes of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah? The Answer is: I don’t know exactly, but it is a lot. This volume of study has been...Read more...

August 2021 / Elul 5781

Dear Friends,

In 1954, in time for Christmas, songwriter Robert Allen composed a song which became a staple in the collection of songs and music we hear ad nauseum throughout the month of December (unless, of course, you are going to Israel). Truth be told, however, although the song was written for Christmas, there is a surprisingly Jewish ring to it. The song itself does not mention Christmas....Read more...

Dear Friends,

What does it mean to be a Jew? Is it a matter of faith? Observance? National Identity? Culture?

I am confident in saying that there is no single, simple answer to the question of “Who is a Jew?”. What is certain, however, is that to be a Jew, in any meaningful sense, is never easy. And, if being Jewish correlates to the difficulty of maintaining that identity, those who suffer, face persecution...Read more...

Dear Friends,

A curious passage, found in the Talmud, says the following:

Ben Zoma used to say: what does a good guest say? How much trouble has my host gone to for me! How much meat he set before me! How much wine has he brought me! How many cakes he served me and all the trouble he has gone to for my sake.

But what does a bad guest say? What kind of effort did the host make for me: I have eaten only one slice of...Read more...

September 30, 2020 / 12 Tishre 5781

Dear Friends,

On Monday evening, at the end of Yom Kippur, families gathered outside our synagogue to recite prayers of contrition and confession. The Ne’ila Service of Yom Kippur is a final opportunity for us to offer our prayers, to commit to change and to savor the beautiful purity of the day and to begin a New Year cleansed of those things which have spiritually weighed us down. 24...Read more...

August 31, 2020 / 11 Elul 5780

Dear Friends,

There is a question whose answer has been debated over the course of centuries. The question is: What did the Children of Israel hear when they stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah? The Midrash waxes eloquently, presenting a variety of views.
 

Some say they heard only the first two of the Ten Commandments. After that,...Read more...

June 2, 2020 / 10 Sivan 5780
 

Dear Friends,

I was a kid, 14 years old, growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, when Detroit burned.  The riots of 1967 were violent and resulted in more destruction and death than had been seen in the US since the Civil War.  I remember that long, hot summer day at the end of July, going to my friend’s home and seeing his father, sitting in the living room alone, his head...Read more...

August 6, 2019 / 5 Av 5780

Dear Friends,

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A Chanukkah Message from Rabbi Cooper

November 29, 2018 / 21 Kislev 5779

Dear Friends,

On Sunday night, we shall usher in the joyous festival of Chanukkah.  At the darkest time of the year, we light the Chanukkah candles each night as we tell stories, gather with friends and enjoy the traditional jelly-filled doughnuts,  sufganiot, (indulging more than we should, while using...Read more...

June 28, 2018 /15 Tammuz 5778

Why Do We Go to Yad Vashem?

Dear Friends,

I write to you from Israel, toward the end of our 11-day synagogue trip. Like most Israel excursions, our itinerary has been rich and full. An itinerary, however, is not complete without a visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the Holocaust. Our visit to Yad Vashem on Monday nearly...Read more...