Rabbi Michael Gotlieb

The seder offers 15 steps toward empowerment

Published on March 29, 2007

Fifteen steps or ritual components make up the Passover seder. Knowing that in advance can empower your guests and everyone else gathered around the dinner table. Most haggadot list the 15 steps at the beginning of the text. Think of it as a key, or GPS, to help you navigate through this age-old tradition. In our home, we sing the 15 steps together, repeating them up to the ritual section being observed until we've completed all 15 parts.

Chanukah holds important lesson for all faiths

Published on December 14, 2006

Theologically, Chanukah is insignificant, yet its historical lesson is of great importance to all religious faiths.

Misguided Passion About Gibson’s Film

Published on April 13, 2006

In anticipation of Easter, a slightly modified version of "The Passion of the Christ," the film by actor and director Mel Gibson, and screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald, has been re-released. The second coming if you will. This re-cut version is widely available in a DVD gift format.

The Holiness of Life

Published on April 18, 2002

All of us have heard, or experienced a variation of the following story, told of a father and his daughter. She, a busy professional; he, a retired widower. In one of their virtually nonexistent exchanges, he asks: "With your booked schedule, will you be able to attend my funeral?" Her response: "Of course, how could you say such a thing?" His retort: "I need you in my life now, before I die."

God’s Covenant

Published on January 10, 2002

From the Torah's beginning until its end, God is portrayed as being personally involved in the welfare of humanity. Deism is not a Jewish notion. God is not an "unmoved mover," the proverbial clockmaker who after assembling and winding his ware, steps back watching it tick down, never to again involve Himself with it. On the contrary, God hears our innermost thoughts, feels our deepest concerns, judges us and guides us through our lives. A traditional Jewish concept of God is one that is interactive and intimately personal.

Sukkah of Change

Published on October 4, 2001

Sukkot teaches us to view the world differently; it teaches us to value every waking moment of our lives.

Counting the Days

Published on May 24, 2001

Sunday evening the Jewish world begins its celebration of Shavuot (which literally means weeks). In preparation for the holiday, the Torah orders us to count 49 days (seven weeks) from the second night of Passover until the festival's start.

Body and Soul

Published on March 22, 2001

Six days after the earth's creation, God both mandates and hallows the Sabbath day.

Books: Beyond Mortality

Published on February 15, 2001

For those who struggle with the concept of God, the primary issue is God's existence. Once established, one's belief in the divine informs other areas, such as the afterlife, reincarnation and resurrection.

Questioning Authority

Published on July 6, 2000

All of us question authority at times. We do it for any number of reasons. Sometimes our ego motivates us. Sometimes the motivation stems out of a true desire to bring about a needed change.