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As a child, my favorite book was My Teacher Sleeps at School. Mrs. Marsh, the main character in the story, is always in her classroom before the students arrive and always remains after they leave. Understandably, one of the students, Mollie, grows convinced that her teacher has no home other than the school. It is a sweet story that humanizes our teachers, and those larger-than-life figures in our world, who are so passionate, so dedicated, and so wise, that we imagine them almost as superheroes. As we reflect on these figures that loom so large in our lives, it is hard to imagine them with normal lives, homes, and tasks. They seem to exist on another level altogether.

For me, one of those teachers is Jeremy Leigh, a professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is the kind of teacher who both inspires greatness and exudes humility...and as you may know, he will be spending the weekend with us at Temple Sinai as our Scholar in Residence. Jeremy’s uncanny ability to invite you into the Israeli conversation around life and culture is both powerful and profound. He makes you feel like you belonged there all along!

A significant chunk of our first year of Rabbinical School is the Israel Studies program, a program that takes place all over Jerusalem and Israel. Jeremy Leigh guides and runs this program with poise and precision. This weekend, we have a unique opportunity as Jeremy brings Israel and the world of Jewish travel to us at Temple Sinai. So whip out your passports, and prepare to journey around the world, as we learn with this incredible Israeli scholar, Jeremy Leigh.

As I write these words, I think about the familiar Kaddish prayer, and a special version called kaddish d'rabanan (also known as the "scholar's kaddish"). In this version, traditionally recited after Torah study, an extra paragraph roughly translates to:

For our teachers and their students
And for the students of their students
We ask for peace and loving kindness,
And for those who study Torah here and everywhere
May they be blessed with all they need, and let us say: Amen.

On this Shabbat, as we read the Torah Portion Terumah, (contributions,) we think of all the inspiring teachers in our life who contributed so much to who we are. To those who shaped and molded us, we send love and blessings. Jeremy Leigh is one of those rare teachers for this generation of newly-ordained rabbis. I hope you will join me for a fabulous few days of learning and conversation with him.

RSVP Here for Our Scholar in Residence Events

Shabbat Shalom!