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We will learn prayers, sing accompanied by musical instruments Talk about holidays and festivals throughout the Jewish year Life Cycle events Other timely topics https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73337554944?pwd=aS81dEJyb3Y4KzhYNThzUUlGT2xXdz09

Designed for ages 10 - 13 for students preparing for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Improving Hebrew reading skills, studying Torah. https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73337554944?pwd=aS81dEJyb3Y4KzhYNThzUUlGT2xXdz09

Preparation for B'nai Mitzvah, for ages 10 - 13. We will focus on improving Hebrew reading, studying Torah, highlighting that week's sedrah/portion, and some cantillations. https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73337554944?pwd=aS81dEJyb3Y4KzhYNThzUUlGT2xXdz09

Sermon

Article The centerpiece of Jewish prayer, recited quietly three times each day, is the meeting place of our human yearnings with God's life-giving energy. BY DANIEL YOEL COHEN Ten years ago, I worked in a summer camp in Israel. The other staff and I prepared a rich set of activities and content to share, but we were frustrated that the kids wouldn’t stop running around long enough for us to deliver anything. It was like trying to pour water into a constantly moving glass. It’s often the same with God. Kabbalistic and Hasidic teachings teach that there is a constant influx of energy from the Divine into the world, yet we rarely perceive this in our daily lives. Could it be that the sense of lack and longing that so many of us experience is a function of our constantly running around, of not being still long enough to open to what Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook called the “flowing river of the supernal soul of life.” The Amidah prayer is the place for this receiving, for the meeting of our human yearnings and God’s life-giving waters. The Amidah is the centerpiece of Jewish prayer, traditionally recited silently, three times a day, while standing still. The stance of this prayer is rooted in the Bible, which records that the patriarch Abraham “got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood.” (Genesis 19:27) Standing contrasts with moving, and the word amad (“stood”) can also be translated as being still. This reading teaches us that the first dimension of prayer is to become still. As the mind can continue racing even when the body has become still, it is helpful to bring attention to the stillness of the body, to the release of the outbreath, to the simple contact between the feet and the ground and let the mind begin to align with presence. From a place of presence there can be intentionality. We can open to the deeper currents of our soul and the seed potentials that await our activation. The central part of the weekday Amidah consists of 13 blessings, each of which has a particular quality: Honen Hada’at (Who favors us with knowledge): Open, simple presence of awareness Harotzeh Bit’shuvah (Who longs for repentance): Longing for closeness and alignment with core purpose Hamarbeh Lis’loach (Who is ever willing to forgive): Love and belovedness of forgiveness and grace Goel Yisrael (Redeemer of Israel): Power and discernment Rofeh Holeh Amo Yisrael (Who heals His people Israel): Healing and release M’varech Hashanim (Who blesses the years): Abundance of blessing M’kabetz Nidchei Amo Yisrael (Who gathers together the dispersed of His people Israel): Gratitude and joy of togetherness and integration Ohev Tzedakah Umishpat (Who loves righteousness and judgment): Passion of care and connectedness Shover Oyvim Umachniyah Zaidim (Who breaks enemies and humbles the arrogant): Wonder and inclusivity of transcending separateness Mish’an Umivtach Latzadikim (Who supports and trusts the righteous): Compassion and solidity of deep rootedness Boneh Yerushalayim (Who builds Jerusalem): Mutuality, love, and openness of fraternity Matzmiach Keren Yeshua (Who flourishes the glory of salvation): Strength and salvation of inspired vision Shomea T’fillah (Who hears prayer): Freedom and fulfillment of living in the flow of life For each of these blessings, it’s possible to feel into its quality. Let yourself remember a time in life when it was really present, or fantasize what it would be like to live in world saturated with that quality. Notice what feeling arises. Who are you when these qualities are alive in you? As we pray in this way, it becomes possible to let such realities take root within ourselves before they have become manifest without. In this way, the Amidah connects us to the ultimate Creative Power. Prayer may be likened to gardening, the daily soul tending through which, rooted in fertile soil of the soul and nourished by the flowing waters of life, we may fulfill the vision espoused in Psalms: “Planted in the house of the Divine … they will flourish”. Daniel Yoel Cohen is a therapist and teacher living in Jerusalem. He teaches with Or HaLev: Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation and runs experiential pilgrimage trips to Israel focusing on life of the spirit. The author would like to acknowledge the teachings of Rav Daniel Kohn at Yeshivat Sulam Yaakov in Jerusalem, which informed this essay.

Parashat Noach D’var Torah for Parashat Noach 5781 Noah is the second portion of the Torah, Bereishit. Noah is ten generations from Adam and Eve. Hashem sees that humankind is wicked and decides to destroy them. G-d wants to spare Noah who “walks with G-d”. Noah is a righteous man and deserves to be saved. G-d tells Noah to build an ark. The ark will hold Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. The ark will hold two of each animal, male and female. G-d then sends rain for forty days and forty nights that drowns all life on Earth. Noah, his family and the animals remain in the ark for another 150 days. Noah then first sends out a raven and then a dove to see if the earth is dry enough for them to exit the ark. The dove finally returns with a branch off an olive tree. Noah then sees that it is safe to leave the ark. It was one complete solar cycle of 365 days until the Earth dried. G-d then establishes a covenant that the rainbow is a sign that Hashem will never again destroy humankind by a flood. Noah plants a vineyard and gets drunk on wine, and falls asleep. Ham sees his father naked and tells his two brothers, Shem and Japhtheh. The latter two, without looking, cover Noah with a blanket. Ham is the father of the Canaanites, who will be slaves; Japheth is the father of Europeans and Shem is the father of Jews and Middle Easterners (“Semites”). There are seventy nations who speak the same language. Nimrod, the first warrior king, has everyone build a tower of Babel (Babylon) to reach to Heaven. Hashem sees the presumptiveness and arrogance of mankind and confounds their speech by making them all speak different languages.

Top of Page New Blog Calendar Who Is Mighty? Portfolio Contact Me My Story Videos Events Services Backgound/Resume Order My Book Subscribe Shabbat Times Instagram Feed NewBlog Rabbi Stephen Epstein 5 days ago 3 min The Amidah: Standing Still to Receive God’s Blessings 3 Write a comment Rabbi Stephen Epstein 6 days ago 2 min This week's 10-Minute Torah (October 24, 2020): "Parashat Noach" 5781 9 Write a comment Rabbi Stephen Epstein Oct 18 1 min Friday Night Sermon (October 16, 2020): "The Science of Genesis" 4 Write a comment Rabbi Stephen Epstein Oct 13 1 min Friday Night Sermon (October 9, 2020): "Shemini Atzeret - Mystery Holiday" 3 Write a comment Rabbi Stephen Epstein Oct 13 2 min This week's 10-Minute Torah (October 17, 2020): "Parashat Bereishit" 5781 9 Write a comment Rabbi Stephen Epstein Oct 8 3 min Tefillat Geshem: The Prayer for Rain 11 Write a comment Everyone looks for meaning in our lives. Why? Because when we feel we have a life’s work—a place in this world—we are more effective as workers, family members and as people. When we feel we have a purpose in life, we are more effective and become fulfilled. I am an ordained rabbi and I use the medium of Judaism to facilitate a spiritual regeneration that makes people more fulfilled. My work is to not just lead a person through the various course of the Hebrew calendar and life cycle events, but to relate that to your own feelings of self-esteem and self-worth. When we enhance our feelings of self-worth, it gives us more confidence to succeed and we lead a more satisfying life. Please join with me in exploring your inner self. Let’s see how we can use these milestones in life to make you a more self-actualized person who gets more out of life and feels more equipped to handle life’s challenges. Who is Mighty? One who subdues their passions. Proverbs 16:32 Hillel [also] used to say: "If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?" Pirkei Avot 1:14 LEARN ABOUT MY STORY Leading Our Community in Worship Ever since I was young, I discovered my strong faith in HaShem and the desire to pursue a life of service to others. As the most esteemed Rabbi in the southwest Riverside County area of Southern California, my religious service offerings were designed to suit everyone’s needs. Whether you’re looking for a certified Rabbi to officiate your next event, or simply want to gain more wisdom and learn about the Divine — I’m your number one source for all your religious needs. Call me today and see what I can do for you. Get In Touch Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied All Videos All Categories Play Video Play Video 11:19 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Parashat Lech L'cha 5781 (October 31, 2020) Hashem tells Abram to leave his home; Abram takes Sarai, his wife and Lot, his nephew; They go to Egypt to escape a famine, then back to Canaan; Abram becomes Abraham and Sarai becomes Sarah; Abraham circumcises himself, Ishmael, new son Isaac and household; sign of a new covenant. Play Video Play Video 11:10 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Friday Night Sermon (October 16, 2020) Science of Genesis How the story of Creation in Genesis relates to the modern theory, "Big Bang Theory". Play Video Play Video Rabbi Stephen Epstein Parashat Noach 5781 (October 24, 2020) Mankind wicked, needs a reboot; Noah's righteousness; animals unclean and clean; Torah? Play Video Play Video 09:11 Rabbi Stephen Epstein Friday Night Sermon 10-13-2020 Shemini Atzeret_Mystery Holiday What is Shemini Atzeret? Play Video Play Video 51:47 Temple Sholom of Ontario Shemini Atzeret Shabbat/Yizkor Service with Rabbi Epstein Pt.2 Play Video Play Video 02:29:10 Temple Sholom of Ontario Shmini Atzeret Shabbat Morning Services w/Yizkor led by Rabbi Stephen Epstein Load More

WEDDING OFFICIATION Traditional | Non-Traditional | Interfaith MARRIAGE OFFICIATION Traditional | Non-traditional | Interfaith Get In Touch Interested in learning more about the different types of officiations I conduct? Call me today and make your next ceremony a meaningful occasion. CONTACT RABBI STEPHEN 11 Vista Toscana Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, CA 92532 USA ModernRabbiShmuel@gmail.com 951-526-4012 Send Your details were sent successfully!

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Theoretically, you need 10 men in the same room in the same service. That's the tradition. Remember that a minyan is really a rabbinical decree; there's nothing in the Torah about how many and for what. The idea of a minyan is derived from the phrase in the Torah that the "children of Israel will sanctify the Lord". Why ten and not two or three? It's the rabbinical exegesis of the phrase along with the idea of a congregation. These days, things have become more progressive. Now it's ten adults and women are counted. A former religious leader of our community said he'd do a Mourner's Kaddish with only six, because you can continue praying the reader's repetition of the Amidah if you start out with ten and four leave (again, rabbinical). For me, I'll do a Mourner's Kaddish even if there's only a few people because for me it's more important that people honor their loved ones. With the coronavirus, we've used the virtual audience as a minyan. It's probably a given that the Conservative and Reform movements will allow it while the Orthodox would probably tell you to just pray on your own and do what you can do. In my view, the important thing is community so rabbis like me are willing to relax the halachah to accommodate the extraordinary. And yes, Conservative Judaism counts a Torah as one since when it's beyond repair, they bury it like a person.