The westernmost member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
An Ocean of Knowledge
By Sandra M. Z. Armstrong
The ocean was calm today. Waves gently rolled back to meet those coming forward. How much are our lives like this? We often look backwards into our past for the strength to move forward again.… Continue reading
20 Years A Jew: Installment 7 – “And then there was Israel…”
By Athena DeRasmo
Haifa. I sat in a tiny office in a government building – bleak, institutional, and oppressive. Like most Israeli government buildings, it could have been a set for a cold war film. Across from me sat a… Continue reading
Snowbirds: Les and Pat Rosenthal’s Off-Island Time
By Les and Pat Rosenthal
A before pic from our delightful seders
May 5th Pat and I flew to visit my nephew in Nashville and our great niece and nephew.
From there we went up to Bowling Green, Ky and… Continue reading
Snowbirds Lovin’ The Newsletter
By Brian Ellinoy and Rachelle Lackman
I think the newsletter is absolutely fabulous. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you and your supporting cast are devoting to keeping everybody informed of Sof doings. For “snowbirds” like… Continue reading
The Meaning of Community
By Sid Goldstein
The dictionary defines community as “‘a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” I never understood how important that fellowship was until I got hurt. The unfortunate accident that… Continue reading
Shabbat Evening Songfest
By Arnie Warshawsky
Reb Dan Lev and his bride Margie Walkover hosted the first of what he hopes will become a regular event on the last Shabbat of the month. Everyone in the community is invited to attend. The… Continue reading
Pesach Memories
By Sof Members
Passover Memories
by Mat Sgan
- We invited a mixed multitude to one Seder and were able to do the four questions in 12 languages including Hawaiian and Pidgin.
- A hostess at one of the Seders made some… Continue reading
Sof Celebrates Pesach – 5779!
By Arnie Warshawsky
Passover is a time of family and friends. Passover is a time of remembering an ancient redemption when Israelites were freed from slavery to meet their collective and individual destinies. As such, Passover also is a symbol… Continue reading
Honey and Poi – Author’s Preface
By Dr. Mathew Sgan
“I read Honey and Poi in one reading. I couldn’t put it down. I especially loved knowing the details of how the schul came into being, who the pioneers were, and the split involving egalitarianism. It… Continue reading
Challah Class Fun
Taught by Peter Fritz
In this course, we make and bake eight challahs. The first part consists of mixing the ingredients to make the bread dough (approximately one hour). While the dough is rising, we discuss baking temperatures and different… Continue reading
- Mishnah CourseRabbi Margalit is teaching a semester long course on Mishnah Rosh HaShana. In the course we use an approach that embodies principles of Organic Torah such as looking for non-linear patterns in the text. These textual patterns are keys to the emergence of deeper meaning. Contact Rabbi Margalit at organictorah@gmail.com if you are interested in […]
- When Will This End?“How can this madness continue to go on?! When will it end?!” I thought to myself as I braced to hear and read about the latest in the horrible epidemic of gun violence which has gripped out country: this time in the Chabad synagogue in Poway, California, and at University of North Carolina in Charlotte, […]