This week’s parsha, like much of Leviticus, deals with boundaries: what is pure or impure for a priest; whom a cohen can marry; which animals are fit for sacrifice and which are not. We have a religious tradition that is very concerned with boundaries. Every culture and group has them. Boundaries are one of the [...]
This year, as you know, Passover begins on Shabbat. That means the second day of Yom Tov begins on Saturday night. When this happens, there are few additional things we have to do to prepare for Passover. On Yom Tov, kindling a new flame is not permitted, however, the use of an existing fire for [...]
Note: If possible, all hametz – food not acceptable during Pesah (Passover), or materials containing such unacceptable food – should be destroyed or given away before the holiday begins.Should this be impossible, the hametz may be stored in such a way that we are sure not to use it during the holiday and its actual [...]
When I was growing up, I used to help my father lead the Passover seder. Like many families, we would go around the table taking turns reading out loud from the Maxwell House Haggadah. As the oldest of three children, I always claimed the prerogative to be the “wise child.” “Let Judy read the ‘wicked [...]
Rabbi Dollin has been on Sabbatical for several weeks now. I’ve been working really hard, but his absence is providing me a valuable moment to spread my wings. I’m enjoying the challenges of leadership and I am also becoming more comfortable with the authority of being senior rabbi of the synagogue. With my new-found independence, [...]
Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald has served as the Associate Rabbi of Congregation HEA in Denver, CO since his ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles in 2008. He also serves as a volunteer chaplain with the Denver Police Department. He and his spouse, Melanie Gruenwald, have three children.
