This week we read the very first words of the Torah. God creates life in all of its beauty and complexity. God creates human beings, and desires that they be made in the image of God (Genesis 1) and that they find fitting partners for one another (Genesis 2). But in Genesis 4, a human being commits the first murder. By Genesis 6, there is so much violence on Earth that God regrets having created humans and decides to destroy God’s own creation. In the beginning of next week’s Torah portion, we read that the earth was full of hamas (Genesis 6:11), translated as lawlessness, wrongdoing, or violence.

After watching my Rosh Hashanah sermon, my amazing colleague Rachel Rudman, in her tireless efforts to ensure your well being, gently asked me if my Yom Kippur sermon will be less…depressing. The answer is no. And yes.

The Jewish community is often focused on having children. There are good reasons. The first mitzvah in the Torah is to be fruitful and multiply. We have suffered tremendous losses of Jewish lives. And having children is indeed one way to ensure another generation of Jews will carry on the tradition. 

We are raising an additional $1.5M to build out our roof deck! We invite you to be part of the Downtown Synagogue renovation by naming one of our iconic stained glass windows. For $10,000 (or $2,000 per year for 5 years), your family’s name or dedication will be associated with the colorful window you choose.

We’ll have a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by open house tours, food, music, and activities for kids. Register here!

Detroit — When Jay Hack attended an event at a synagogue in Detroit with his wife nearly eight years ago, not only was he surprised by the pleasant experience, but he was also astounded to discover the temple had been founded by his family nearly a century ago.