Good Yom Tov. I’ll be honest—I didn’t have a drasha until yesterday. Thank God for ChatGPT. Just kidding! Every Disney movie has a moment where they try to make you cry. Who could forget Bambi’s mother getting shot. Or Dumbo’s mom getting locked up. Let’s play with these kids deepest fears right? Well, one that was on the outside less…
I was dreaming last night. It was one of those dreams on the edge of becoming a nightmare but you’re not yet sure. I was late to get on a cruise. I knew that if I didn’t get there in time, the boat would leave without me. I finally arrived with my family and I saw that there was a…
Dear MMAE Family, I hope all of you and your families are happy and healthy. As I mark my 15th year at our shul, I am filled with gratitude for being given the opportunity to be your rabbi. I was once told that the rabbi business is “not a job for a good Jewish boy”. It is certainly a strange…
From the Baltimore Jewish Times: Rabbi Yerachmiel Shapiro has been the spiritual leader of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Congregation in Pikesville since 2010, and he has seen the Modern Orthodox shul evolve over the years under his leadership. Shapiro joined the synagogue clergy after two years leading Congregation Beth Shalom in Red Bank, New Jersey, and quickly discovered that he…
Dear MMAE Family, We all know the part of the seder that speaks of the 4 sons. Let’s call them the 4 children. “The Torah speaks of 4 children. One who is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who doesn’t know what to ask.” Where does the Torah speak about these 4 children? You may…
Before anything else is said, it is important to remember that this past year was not a Shana Tova for our people. It was a year of disaster, war, worry, brutality, and growing antizionism and its twin, antisemitism. We strengthen ourselves, stand steadfast in our support of Israel, mourn the needless and wanton ending of so many holy lives, and…
In the aftermath of the attacks of October 7th, Danya and I discussed the possibility of spending Pesach in Israel. Danya has two brothers who live in Israel with their families, and we knew the coming months would be incredibly difficult. If the rest of Danya’s family planned to go to Israel, we felt we should join them, to allow…
Dear MMAE Family, Happy Spring! This is my favorite season of the year because everything good (in my opinion) is ahead of us. Good weather. The fun times of the Summer. The gradual bloom of every flower and every tree (Ah choo!). Spring is a season that feels like youth, like hope and unrealized potential. In Judaism, Springtime is actually…
Honoring the Members of MMAE who Passed Away Many of you know some or all the people I will be speaking about. Some of you don’t know any of them. Either way, the human stories I will tell and the incredible lessons these people have taught by the way they lived is much more inspiring than any speech I could…
What’s Wrong with the High Holiday Prayers? A Chassid went to the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh and said, “Rebbe, I want to see Elijah the Prophet.” “It’s simple,” said the Baal Shem. “I’ll tell you what to do. Get two boxes and fill one with food and the other with children’s clothes. Then, before Rosh Hashanah, travel to Minsk.…