Rabbi Cohen’s Writings

Dear Friends, This week’s Torah portion includes one of the most famous episodes in all of the Torah. As the people begin to contemplate what it will take to enter the Land of Israel and settle there, Moses sends a small band of scouts (commonly referred to as [...]

Dear Friends, In 1982, New Jersey law mandated a daily “moment of silence” in schools. The statute required a period of “quiet and private contemplation or introspection” at the beginning of each school day. Proponents argued that it was merely a moment of silence, but it was an [...]

Dear Friends, Other than the Shehecheyanu blessing that thanks God for allowing us to share moments of power and importance, perhaps the most famous blessing in all of Judaism appears in this week's Torah portion. Birkat Cohanim—the Priestly Blessing—is a three-sentence blessing that is used to recognize the [...]

Dear Friends, Thank you to everyone who attended the TSTI Annual Meeting this past week. For those unable to attend I wanted to share both my and out Temple President Bryan Bloom’s remarks. Wishing you all a Shabbat of Peace. Rabbi Daniel Cohen My Words:  https://vimeo.com/954866268 Good evening. [...]