This week's Torah portion may make you rethink your assumption that it doesn't matter what you wear - to someone else, but most especially to you!

Wouldn't it be a better world if we breathed before we posted and asked ourselves whether or not we really wanted our most negative words to be part of the ether for millennia I know that the Torah did not have the Internet in mind, or maybe it did?

Wisdom Works by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

I do recognize that there is an existential angst plaguing our world, and it may very well be the cause of violent outbursts against the most vulnerable. And there is no question that a country with more guns than people makes the worst outcomes all the more possible. But how is it that if God forbid a child got drunk at your home, and suffered a horrible accident there or once he had left, that the laws are crystal clear that you, the homeowner, can be held liable; but if your unguarded, loaded weapon is used to cause terrible damage to others, that you cannot be held liable in most states and in most situations?

“The North American Jewish community has steadfastly come to the aid of Israel at moments of crisis. Israel belongs, first of all, to its citizens, and they have the final word. But Israel also matters to the entire Jewish people. When an Israeli government strays beyond what your commitments to liberal democracy can abide, you have both the right and the responsibility to speak up.” - An open letter to Israel’s friends in North America by Matti Friedman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Daniel Gordis.

Calling out the two worst human beings in the world.

“I was there for 10 minutes, and already I felt calmer.” And in that moment, I was reminded once again how Shabbat is a practice that when regularly “practiced,” sensitizes us to shabbats that arise when we are least expecting them. And that is a central element for what it means to live Jewishly. Yesterday, Ann Friedman and I visited the Auspicious Cloud Retreat Center in Chappell Hill, just an hour outside of Houston. Formerly the Margaret Austin Center, and now owned by the Houston Zen Center, this retreat center is where CSK’s first Shabbat retreat will take place, this coming March 17-19.

It doesn't matter if you understand all the words, know all the rituals, are fluent in Hebrew and Yiddish. What matters is your fluency as a human being. And this is what Shabbat is about - the pause we need to reawaken to our humanness,.

Where My Loves Are by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

We See You Sandy Hook by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

If we're not wiling to break some eggs, what's the point?

The Inconceivable Surprise Of Living by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Shabbat is always special. Shabbat at the Rothko Chapel is all the more so. Enjoy this recording of CSK Shabbat at the Rothko Chapel, 10-28-22.

What drives political violence? Spiritual angst and loss.

This is a brief meditation on the meaning of withdrawal necessary to stay spiritually healthy.

An Invitation To Journey Parents from Rabbi Scott by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Poisoned Wells by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

If Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness doesn't encompass who we sleep with, who we build our lives with, where we learn and with whom, and when we start our families, then what does it mean?

This Is Why We Practice by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

The Rainbow And The Matrix by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

How many bullets? Forget about gun laws or sentence guidelines and background checks or red flag laws. Common sense says that an 18-year-old kid buying 375 bullets should raise a red flag in anyone’s mind. Right now I am not trying to debate whether or not amending the 2nd Amendment, with laws restricting gun ownership, will end gun violence. I indeed do believe that we are suffering from far more than lax gun laws or overreach and under-regulation of guns. This is Texas, and last I checked, this is supposed to be the buckle of the Bible belt. And close to the center of that buckle, we are taught to not place a stumbling block before the blind; to build a parapet around one’s roof to protect a guest rolling off while asleep; to not stand idly by the blood of your brother. AND we are taught: Lo tisna et achicha bilvavecha; hochei’ach tochi’ach et amitecha v’lo tisa alav chet. Do not hate your brother or sister in your heart; you must admonish, yes, admonish them or you will bear some of their sin. (Leviticus 19:17) To read this blog, go to: https://www.cskhouston.com/hearourvoice?post_id=1323723

An Act Of Faith? by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

The Jewish Position On Abortion by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

That said, I am not going to make a strong argument for or against the Exodus “happening.” Not to sound too glib, but for me it comes down to that question about the tree in the woods. If it falls, but there is no one to hear it, did it truly fall? That question is really about relevance. Does it matter? Does it affect our lives? Does the Exodus change the way we engage in that business deal we are in the middle of right now? Does it cause us to consider sharing more of our wealth with those who do not have enough? Does it inspire us to spend time on improving the arc of the lives of those who didn’t have our luck to have been born into this life? These are the kinds of questions that arise for me when preparing for, thinking about, and observing Passover, all of which boil down to a single question: “Do we get it?” This, I will submit, is THE fundamental question of Passover.

In case you were wondering exactly what gas-lighting is, THIS IS IT! Making a claim so outrageous that you force others to prove it wrong, thereby making them responsible for the mess you’ve created.

I write this not from the point of view of political science or as a governmental finger pointer, but more as a prayer.  I do not want to sit back and pretend that any of this is OK, “to be expected,” or “the price of admission.”  As a Prophet of the people of Israel (I am neither a Prophet nor the son of a Prophet), but at times I must step into the Prophet’s shoes and declare, “we are moving in a direction that is becoming our demise.”  Of course, in many ways, this is not new.  And there are so many who have suffered long before I raise these words today.  We have stuck ourselves into a vice grip that is a self-fulfilling prophecy. To continue reading Rabbi Scott's blog, please click https://www.cskhouston.com/hearourvoice?post_id=1304973&edit=true%27#.​​​

It's amazing and tragic the way history repeats itself. The question then is how to avoid it? Learn from it and step in when its your moment to ensure it doesn't happen again.

823,101 dead from Covid as of today, Thursday, December 30, 2021. What must we do to help make their deaths not be in vain? Be real. Be honest. Get vaccinated. And recognize that there is NOTHING in Jewish law, tradition, lore, minhag (culture) or bubemeisse (old wives tales) that teaches or requires otherwise. Photo by Susan Nerlove

Sigd is an Ethiopian Jewish holiday older than the Talmud. Oh, yes Horatio, there is far more to our Jewish world than Ashkenaz and Sepharad.

The Goyim Defense League? It would be hilarious if it wasn't so frightening. In Austin, as the American Jewish community remembers the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, this week three years ago, the self proclaimed "GDL" hung a banner proclaiming "Vax the Jews" over the highway exit near the Jewish Community Center. Don't they know we're the most pro-vaccine religious/ethnic group in the country? Oh that's not what they meant? Click to hear Rabbi Scott's take.

There are moments when we can and must recognize public leaders channeling the wisest teachings of our ancient sages. This is one of them.  In a few short weeks, we at CSK will have the great privilege of welcoming into our community the chief executive officer of Harris County, Judge Lina Hidalgo.  Elected by the voters of Harris County in 2018 at the age of 27, Judge Hidalgo  has championed and secured greater and fairer access to the polls and advocated for the rights of business owners and customers alike to keep our public spaces as safe as possible from COVID-19.  She speaks truth to power, advocating for ordinary constituents whose voice is so often unheard by the powers that be.Judge Hidalgo is a Latin-x woman whose office has fundamentally and forever changed the age, gender and race of the kind of person most had always imagined would occupy that seat.

We're all tired. And we all yet need to transform. How do we do it? The High Holy Days are a good place to start.

Over the past year, the existential crises brought to my attention have had much more to do with one’s self and one’s partner, than one’s parents or other close, but not live-in, relatives. In many cases, distance did make the heart grow fonder. But now, yep!, masks are off. And with them, the potential for closer ties to make things a bit closer (and potentially difficult). All this is to say, as you begin to plan for the reunion with your parents or children, perhaps consider following these little 10 commandments of “re-entry.”

Israel is not an Apartheid state. If you want to have a meaningful conversation about Israel-Palestine, stop throwing stuff at us and do your homework. Any productive conversation between two people assumes that both are worthy of being heard, both are worthy of their own existence. Same is true of nations.

How do we respond to things over which we have no real control? And does our response make things better or worse for those actually suffering? Brief but daily prayer and meditation centers us, and keeps us more honest and reflective when things get rough. As our mystics taught, "There is nothing more whole than a broken heart."

Here are the words to the song: Mei libeinu anachnu sharim Mei libeinu anachnu sharim Uv’charta bachayim Uv’charta bachayim…Chayim (From our hearts we sing From our hearts we sing Choose life Choose life…life) Uv’charta bachayim, Uv’charta bachayim L’ma-an tichyeh uzchor Ki baz’chirah sod geulah Sod geulah mei libeinu (Choose life and choose life In order that you shall live For in memory lies the secret of redemption The secret of redemption from our hearts.)

Pharaohs abound. How they turn to dust.

It is true that each of us is unique and distinct in the world. A brain, a body, organs, all part of the individual "me" we use to move through the world. And yet, without reliance, interdependence, openness and vulnerability, each of is just a blip on a radar screen until we disappear from view. We're in this together, let's act like it.

All we have truly is Hayom - Today. What are you going to make of it?

Life's tribulations can get us stuck. Humility is the jump starter - the reminder that the more appropriate response may be, "Why not me?"

A striking image - perhaps it should remain like this for a while. As a reminder of the fragility of our freedoms.

Most of us find the news of the day to be challenging, infuriating and stultifying. Sometimes frozen in place, we may wonder if there is any reason to keep trying to repair the world. Let us remember that terrific modern parable about the starfish. A child comes along and sees a beachhead filled as far as the eye can see with washed up and vulnerable starfish. And there, at the shoreline stands a woman engaging in what appears to be an impossible task - returning the starfish to the sea. The child walks up and asks why she is doing this. He declares, "I mean, you could spend the whole day here and hardly make a dent. There must be hundreds of thousands." The woman looks at the child as she has just returned one more starfish to the water and says, "Well it sure made a difference to that one."

This is a poem drawn from a yearning to respond to the 326,000 Americans thus far lost to COVID. As a Rabbi, I seek to offer folks some reflective tools(?) for coping. Its so much not enough, but nothing ever will be enough to justify the far too early passing of those we love.

Feet Up, Prayerbook (or Tablet) In Hand by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

If Not Now, When? by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Hey CSK, what are your plans for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Well, have you ever been to the circus?......

If you cannot read the Hebrew above, you should sign up for this class! If you can read the Hebrew above, but don't know what it means, you should sign up for this class! If you can read the Hebrew above and know what it means literally, you should sign up for this class! If you can read the Hebrew above and know what it means, literally and soulfully, you would be a great addition to this class and you should sign up! If you can read the Hebrew above and know what it means, literally and soulfully, and you sign up for this class, you will find yourself challenged by what it really means for how we live our lives (if you sign up for this class!). What's the common denominator? Sign up! Whether or not you are a part of the Shma Koleinu community in Houston or via online.....you know what to do. You're welcome. Join us..you already belong.

Do you believe that every good and bad thing that has happened to you in your life is a direct result of your own actions?

Breathing Is Easy Without A Knee On One’s Neck by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Freedom isn't enough.

Flying Into The Wilderness by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

What songs are we writing and singing with our lives in this moment? Who do we wish to be? How do we wish to be remembered?

6 or 7 weeks into the "Q" as my sons call it, the novelty has worn off and now we wait. Try to keep safe, rally around those suffering from it or fighting it directly, and resolve our souls to mostly sit, contemplate and stay out of the way. How do we rise to the surface when it feels so dark and gloomy down here?

Weeks continue, in this for a longer haul than most of us fully understood, how do we make the best of it?

Michael Strassfeld, the author of the First, Second and Third Jewish Catalogs is the author of this "Dayeinu for our Time." Years ago, I had the privilege of studying with Michael at a rabbis retreat. He is a gifted scholar and spiritual teacher. May you find enhanced meaning in this wonderfully moving and heart-breaking Dayeinu. Our sages taught, "There is nothing more whole than a broken heart."

What is your essential drive? What makes you you? Because that is what the world needs right now.

Faith is used and abused, both by the "faithful" and the "faithless." Truth be told, I've never met a person who fits completely into either one of these delineations. Faith is indeed a human attribute meant to be "used" like courage or optimism or humility or love. Especially in a moment like this.

Dr Ann Friedman (https://www.mindfulbeinghouston.com/) is my dear friend, supporter of Shma Koleinu and a brilliant teacher of meditation. From her website: "COVID-19: We can all use a little stress reduction! All, due to the impact of COVID-19, we are announcing some changes to our classes and events: 1. Daily Noon Guided Meditations are moving to Facebook Live, effective March 23rd. Please follow Mindful Being on Facebook, and you will be notified when we begin each day, Monday through Friday, from 12:00-12:30pm CST. 2. All Mindfulness Classes will be held through Zoom, an online meeting tool. Once you register, you will receive the link to connect. 3. We are offering $30 off all classes. When you check out, please enter code CALM30 to receive the discount. 4. Wednesday morning yoga is canceled until further notice. Check the Classes page for more information. We encourage you to join the Facebook Live every day at noon CST and sign up for one of our mindfulness classes! Stay Safe and Be Well.

In the craziness of our time, I wonder how children would direct us.

I had the privilege to hear Naomi Shihab Nye share her poetry at the On Being Conference a couple of years ago. She is radical and challenging and yet soothing and affirming. Her poetry touches me deeply and I wanted to share it with you. This poem, like many of hers, paints an alternate reality perceivable when we shift our perspective just a little bit.

Ok, its been a week since you may have found yourself staying at home or maybe even living with people whom you love but with whom you know, under normal circumstances, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Here's some unsolicited thoughts. If you like what you hear and you would like to make a donation to Congregation Shma Koleinu to help us continue to deliver this kind of content, click https://www.cskhouston.com/donate-once.

Even in times like these, the first days are "exciting" or at least they are new. But soon enough they become tiresome and heavy. And we can lose ourselves. Listen to this meditation in striving to find yourself again.

Here's a two-step perfect for you as we enter into this upside down world.

Our wonderful cantorial soloist, Hannah Madeleine Goodman, has very lovingly recorded for all of us the Mi Shebeirach prayer. When the news, the worries and concerns overwhelm you, find a quiet spot, breathe into this moment, flood yourself with images of beauty and joy, and then let this recording wash over you.

For a moment of reflection before heading into the beautiful "sameness" of not getting to go to work or school, something we may very well have wished for a bunch of weeks back.

With Covid 19 in the news (and don't forget the Flu in general!) here's a little reminder about how hand washing is not only good for your body, its good for your soul!

Dr Marc Dollinger is CSK's Federation Shabbat Limmud Scholar in Residence Feb 14-16, 2020. He has been inspiring Rabbi Scott since he was a teenager (literally) and more importantly, he is a renowned scholar on subjects that pave new understandings of Jewish self-understanding in our day and age.

Take 5 minutes, whatever your family's normal dinner table ritual is, and share your thoughts and prayers with each other. Maybe play this for all to listen to.

Don't pay much attention to the dangers lurking in your home? Consider it! Its a truly spiritual pursuit!

Chanukah and well, Judaism can be confusing. Here is a little primer to help you out! For the full text of the blog and the link to the video referred to, click here: https://www.cskhouston.com/hearourvoice?post_id=966690

Don't hand-wring over what you did wrong, you did nothing wrong. You raised your Jewish child in a vastly non-Jewish world and they are achieving remarkable success and now they have fallen in love with someone who loves them back! Be joyous! Be hopeful! And remember the measure of your Jewish parenting "success" is not the existence of Jewish grandchildren, it is the existence and promotion of Jewish values of love, connection and hope.

Leave your MAGA Hat and your "Indigenous Peoples' Day swag at home this year for Thanksgiving if you really want to feel the joy.

What if this year, your focus on Thanksgiving was fully targeted towards gratitude, keeping your "triggers" holstered? You mostly know the kinds of challenges you will be presented with by family members who rub you the wrong way. It'll be no surprise. So what if you went into T-giving knowing this? Imagine what it might feel like NOT to respond the way you usually find yourself doing when confronted with a difficult family situation. You might very well find a greater deal of joy than you ever expected. It's worth a try, right?

The themes of the High Holy days are to follow us throughout the year. Allow this meditation on "Return" to remind you of the best of your intentions that arose for you during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Find a quiet spot in the park, in your home or on the beach, pop your ear buds into your ears and hit play. For the next 16ish minutes, Rabbi Scott will guide you - The forgiveness we can offer ourselves for not being perfect, even as we strive for excellence in our professional and personal lives, is a requirement for this journey. No there is no "arrival," but along the way, forgiveness paves safe paths for discovering and building places where we belong.

This "Kosher Pretzel" meditation is a way in towards the peace of your soul. Our ability to love deeply, forgive and connect others is absolutely reliant on our ability to love deeply, forgive and connect with our selves. The best work on the crucial role of self-compassion can best be fond through the work of Kristin Neff, check it out at https://self-compassion.org/

This meditation was recorded on the Shabbat of Chanukah, 2018 but its a meditation for the whole year round. How do we learn from the lessons of Chanukah, when we light more light each day, than the day before, giving in to our hope for more light for all.

Meditation- Becoming Ourselves by Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss

Rabbi Scott's sermon from this past Shabbat encourages us to dig just a little bit below the surface of our tradition to discover the ethical principles on which Judaism is based and without which it cannot breathe. Take these few minutes to listen and be reminded of what Passover is really all about.

Chanukah tells the tale of the miracle of the oil lasting 8 times as long as it "was supposed to." When we believe that the things we need are always fleeting, our fear of scarcity overwhelms our ability to stand in the truth of what we truly have. This meditation focuses our mindfulness on expanding the sensation and deepening the experience of what we have, such that it lasts maybe even 8 times longer.

On Shabbat evening, November 10, 2017, Congregation Shma Koleinu gathered to offer prayers for healing for Sutherland, TX. It was beautiful and I am so grateful for all who joined us. We have now sent the recording of this healing service to Pastor Frank Pomeroy of First Baptist Church in Sutherland. Here it is.

Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss addresses the overwhelming number of tragedies that we are experiencing as of late and how to deal with them from a Jewish perspective.

Join Rabbi Scott for a discussion about the Book of Life and what it really means.

Gratitude is the Thing meaning it all begins and ends here. Gratitude isn't just a kind gesture or compliment. Its the tool required in order to be aware that our blessings in our lives are blessings.

Join Rabbi Scott as he discusses his experience with Jewish Summer Camp and why it's a life changing experience for children and families.

In his most recent podcast, Rabbi Scott discusses an evermore divided Israel, and how, as progressive Jews, we can cope with these current issues.

Rabbi Scott discuss the constant stream of positive and negative feedback we're receiving from social media and technology and how we can stay grounded in the midst of it all.

Join Rabbi Scott for a conversation about how we can use traditional Jewish wisdom to navigate the chaos of everyday life.

Join Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss for the 3rd episode of "Conversations with the Rabbi" in which he discusses gossip, its pervasiveness in modern society and how we can deal with it as Jews and Humans.

Join Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss for a Shabbat Meditation and start your Shabbes on a great note. For more about Rabbi Scott and Congregation Shma Koleinu, visit shmakoleinu.com.

Join Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss in his first podcast episode in a discussion about world affairs, anti-Semitism, and why Jews are divided in their perspectives on America's current administration.