On Sunday morning, hours before the first night of Hanukkah, I wrote to my congregation with feelings of shock and grief.

I have been trying to think of the right way to begin such a letter, but I think the only way is to say it directly and clearly: We are living through a historic emergency.

What is Hanukkah?” That is how the Talmud opens its discussion of the holiday.

What is a miracle?

Our Jewish community is grieving. Almost all of us have family, friends and colleagues who are living in Israel.

Over 2,100 years ago, King Antiochus promulgated laws that made Jewish ritual and worship illegal.