I want to say thank you to Shifra and Puah. In this week’s Torah portion, which starts the Book of Exodus, these Egyptian midwives defy the will of Pharaoh and save the lives of the babies that he sought to destroy. Their moral courage birthed an Israelite people who were able to move from oppression to freedom.

Happy Gregorian New Year Downtown Synagogue family! I’m very excited for all that 2021 may bring. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe so we can enjoy this new year together.

This week we read Parashat Vayetzei, which opens with Jacob fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, en route to finding safety in the home of his uncle. When the sun starts to set, he stops to rest for the night and has only a stone for a pillow. He has a dream about a ladder, with angels going up and down, and hears the voice of God. He wakes up and says “Truly, God is in this place, and I, I did not know it!”

Please click here to view all of Rabbi Ariana Silverman’s 5781 High Holiday sermons, along with messages from our Board Members and Executive Director.

In our 99 years of existence, the Downtown Synagogue has seen its share of great leaders. Read Dr. Martin Herman's forward in our Siddur and you'll learn about the founding Isaac Agree Society, the visionaries who moved the synagogue to its current location, and those who breathed new life into IADS in the 21st century. Now, as we traverse unprecedented times, we need all sorts of leaders to roll up their sleeves and help further our mission.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge us, people find themselves expressing the need to seek balance in this new way we are living our lives. As individuals, a community, and a nation, it wasn't necessarily easy to find balance before, and the challenges from the virus only increase the difficulty. We think about being "productive" while we are experiencing a historic time of a public health pandemic, along with deep racial pain, the accompanying social justice efforts for change, an economic crisis, loss and grief, and profound uncertainty. How do we prioritize our health - physical and emotional - and the need for rest and relaxation?