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Posts by Helene Coulter

Psalm Conversation with Rabbi Martin Cohen

Rabbi Martin Cohen is among the luminaries of the Conservative Movement today. Rabbi of the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, NY for close to twenty years, he has authored many books, including novels and Jewish theology. In my preparation of Psalms, I regularly consulted his book, Our Haven and Our Strength: The Book of Psalms (Aviv Press,…

Jerusalem Post Opinion – Rabbi Spitz

My converts to Judaism should feel Jewish – opinion By ELIE KAPLAN SPITZ MAY 6, 2021 Rabbi David Eliezrie is my friend and yet, as a Conservative Rabbi, I see God and Judaism quite differently. I would want those whom I convert to know that in choosing Judaism they are joining the Jewish people, which includes a…

Word(s) Count: Va’Ethannan

Word(s) Count: Va’Ethannan Why does Moses alter God’s words? Moses prepares the children of the slaves to enter the Promised Land. He repeats the Ten Commandments, but with changes. Exodus 5:1-14 is the immediate account of Mount Sinai. Deuteronomy 5:6-18 is Moses’ retelling. The first seven verses, 103 words are identical with the exception of…

“Poised for Action:” Mattot-Mas’ei

This week is a double portion that concludes the book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Torah that covers thirty-eight years of travel through the desert. The people are now poised to enter the Promised Land. Mattot means tribes. Each of the twelve tribe had a distinctive identity as part of a larger collective.…