Reflections on My Israel Solidarity Mission

This is Not Your Parents’ Hebrew School

This is Not Your Parents’ Hebrew School: Wise CYE and Leo Baeck Are Reinventing Jewish Education On Sunday May 1, 2022, families at Stephen Wise Temple’s Center for Youth Engagement (CYE) celebrated an academic year unlike any other in the temple’s 58-year history, one which marked a re-imagining of Jewish education for children attending secular … Continued

Installation of Senior Cantor Emma Lutz

Installation of Senior Cantor, Emma LutzFriday, March 25 at 6:15 p.m. | In-person and Online Since joining Stephen Wise Temple & Schools in 2016, Cantor Emma Lutz has made a significant mark on the Wise community. She has guided our Wise School students, mentored our youth, shared moments of joy and sorrow with our families, and brought beautiful, … Continued

Stephen Wise Temple: A Place to call Home

During Yom Kippur services at Stephen Wise Temple on Sept 16, 2021, Phil Koosed shared his family story from the past when his grandfather was the only survivor in his family from the Holocaust to the current generation when his own father now has eight grandchildren and Phil is spearheading the efforts of The Big … Continued

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE COMPOUNDS: IN HUMBLE DEFENSE TO HINDUISM

Prambanan temple compounds came in as one of the first world heritage sites of Indonesia in 1991. This site was inscribed under two criteria: as a masterpiece of human creative genius, and as an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that represents a significant stage in human history (i.e., spread of Hinduism in the East). It happens to … Continued

Hanuman, India

Hanuman It was early, around 6:00, when we took a narrow turn down a crowded street. It was beginning to fill with vendors, carts, cows, and tuk-tuks. But it was winter, and cold, and many people were starting their small fires on the sidewalks outside their businesses. I saw clusters men taking Chi and waiting … Continued

The Thiruvannamalai temple has several temple towers pointing in the four cardinal directions, each exquisitely carved.

Two “Foreigners” in Thiruvannamalai, India

I had a lot of trouble pronouncing the name of this town: “Thiruvannamalai”. It required me to roll my tongue too much and too many times. It had too many syllables. Hailing from North India, living in the south Indian city of Bangalore, I initially found south Indian names to be tongue twisters – especially … Continued

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