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Congregation Shomrei Torah

Farewell from Rabbi Stephanie

06/11/2021 02:40:04 PM

Jun11

Dear Shomrei Torah Family,
 
With a mixture of sadness and excitement, I share with you that I will be leaving the congregation in July, 2021.
 
I have accepted the position of Senior Rabbi at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park, Kansas, a 150 year old historic and dynamic 1,100-family congregation. This is an extraordinary opportunity for me to expand my rabbinate and grow...Read more...

Rabbi Kramer Sabbatical

01/28/2020 09:15:56 AM

Jan28

Dear Shomrei Torah Family,

 

With a mix of gratitude and blessing, I head out on a three-month Sabbatical on Thursday, January 30.  Being a rabbi is both incredibly fulfilling and no easy task.  It's time to recharge my batteries and come back to the synagogue renewed.  I'll be spending my time learning and recharging. 

I will be...Read more...

Disagreeing with Dignity

09/24/2019 02:06:03 PM

Sep24

Rabbi Stephanie Kramer

When his mother asked a child whether his Lego guys were the good guys or the bad guys, he responded, “We think we’re the good guys and they’re the bad guys, but they think they’re the good guys and we’re the bad guys.” 

This insightful youngster can teach us so much about life. Domestic arguments, wars and political discourses can all be boiled down to this simple lesson: everyone thinks they are the good guys. I...Read more...

Hartman Graduation

08/01/2019 02:03:02 PM

Aug1

Rabbi Stephanie Kramer

Dear Congregation Shomrei Torah,

I want to use this moment in time to express my deepest gratitude for your ongoing support in deepening and developing my rabbinic skills.

My time at...Read more...

Baseless Hatred

11/26/2018 12:00:00 AM

Nov26

Rabbi Stephanie Kramer

The destructions of the first and second temples in Jerusalem are seen as two of the most devastating events in Jewish history. Rabbinic literature and tradition draw a direct line between sinat chinam, baseless hatred, and the destruction of these temples.

We read a story in the Talmud about two men with similar names, Kamsa and Bar Kamsa. A wealthy person in the town was throwing a party and sent his servant to invite his friend...Read more...

Insights from Israel

08/21/2018 12:00:00 AM

Aug21

Rabbi Stephanie Kramer

After landing in Ben Gurion in June, my first four days were spent on an Encounter trip. Encounter is a nonpartisan educational organization cultivating more informed and constructive Jewish leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The program I was invited to participate in was for North American Jewish Leadership. Before the trip started, we had two webinars and read a lot about Encounter’s philosophy and background. It was...Read more...

Dear Micah and Noa --

07/19/2018 12:00:00 AM

Jul19

Rabbi Stephanie Kramer

I can’t believe summer has come and the time for our big adventure is finally here. You’re so lucky that you get to experience Israel for the first time at four and eight. I hope you will behave on the flight from San Francisco to Tel Aviv. Please, watch, as many movies as you want, don’t kick the seat in front of you, try to sleep and be nice to daddy.

I am delighted to welcome you to Israel, a country that holds a piece...Read more...

The Glass is More than Half Full!

06/20/2018 11:27:44 AM

Jun20

As I packed the trunk and buckled the kids in and set off for Camp Newman by the Bay, it dawned on me that this would be the longest drive I have ever taken to Camp Newman. Until this summer I have been the most blessed rabbi living only ten minutes from camp, my home away from home. I could spend all day at camp and still sleep in my own bed, and shower in my own shower (really what could be better?). Additionally, my favorite time of year...Read more...

Passover is Coming

02/21/2018 11:35:35 AM

Feb21

Passover is steeped with many lessons, all of which are relevant in the 21st century. Most years, when thinking about the symbolism of the seder plate, I focus on the sweetness of the escape from slavery while eating charoset, the complicated tears while dipping parsley into salt water, the smearing of the lamb’s blood while lifting up the shank bone or the brokenness of the world while breaking the...Read more...

Hurricane Harvey

08/31/2017 12:20:39 PM

Aug31

As the High Holy days approach, I turn inward. I take a personal accounting of my actions, words and thoughts. I also start to focus on the liturgy. I find that some of the metaphors and prayers offered throughout the days of awe are more easily digestible than others. Some years, the God who sits upon a throne weighing each person’s actions on a scale before inscribing him or her in the book of life or death is comforting, and other years,...Read more...

Sheet Cake

08/22/2017 12:22:16 PM

Aug22

I have never liked cheap humor, slapstick comedy or potty humor. I love satires, which is not completely surprising, since I am a tad bit sarcastic. Satire is cerebral and pithy, carefully crafted to make you think. It contains elements of truth twisted with fantasy, and it is up to the viewer to interpret a deeper meaning. Good satire is multilayered, multidimensional, sickening and funny all at the same time.

Tina Fey’s Saturday...Read more...

Trip to Hebron

07/06/2017 12:51:50 PM

Jul6

Trusting my chaver, colleague and friend, I signed up for a trip with T’ruah, a U.S.-based organization of rabbis active in promoting human rights and Breaking the Silence, a group of former IDF soldiers dedicated to fighting the Israeli occupation, who collect and publish personal testimonies about their military service in locations like Hebron. The trip to Kiryat Arba and Hebron was intended to teach rabbis about the realities and...Read more...

Mon, March 18 2024 8 Adar II 5784