Ahavas Chesed Synagogue

05/11/2025

Happy Mother's Day - to the woman who carried us within herself and brought us into this world,
to the woman who welcomed us into her heart even if she did not carry us in her womb,
to the woman who nursed us when we were sick and comforted us when we were afraid,
to the woman who bandaged our cuts and mended our wounds,
to the woman who laughed with us and cried with us, knowing the right time for the right type of tears,

to the woman who fed us and the woman who taught us how to feed ourselves,
to the woman who cared for us and to the woman who taught us to care for ourselves,
to the woman who embraced us and the woman who worked two jobs in order that we have our needs met,

to the woman who helped us with homework and the woman who worked so we would have a home,
to the woman who snuggled with us and rocked us to sleep and to the woman who loved us beyond measure but may have not overtly shown it,

to the woman who colored pictures and read to us and to the woman who never had such a role model but made it clear she loved us just the same,
to the woman who said "I love you" and to the very special one who spoke with hands and eyes and actions but not words,

to the person who cared for us beyond description and did not fit into any mold,

and to the person who, by circumstance, received one of us and mightily rose to the challenge becoming, regardless of gender or lineage, Mother.
We love you.
Rabbi Steve Silberman

11/10/2024

These past months we have been experiencing great challenges. Our nation has suffered discord and great internal division. A tumultuous Presidential campaign has finally concluded. Now we are called,each one of us and all of us, to draw upon our personal strengths to overcome the walls which have risen between 'Reds' and 'Blues' or 'Liberals' and 'Conservatives'. Now is the time to be creative enough to see our next days not as a postscript to winning or losing but instead as the critical reawakening of what is beneath the surface of each of us; the private identity of you and me which makes us American - recognizing that each of us shares something in common with other Americans although we may feel drastically diverse.
That we Jews can create a safe mental and emotional space to seek forgiveness from God and to grant forgiveness to one another during the Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur speaks of our spiritual resilience and thus we can fashion a mindset in which we remind ourselves that all of us are descended from shared American forebears.

Today I share a prayer with you. We are all familiar with the Shema. Famously, the paragraph of V'ahavta begins with : " And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart." I am reminded of the 4 chambers within our hearts.
Every heart functions and beats by maintaining and depending upon 4 independent but interconnected chambers. The independence of each chamber and its own function and the interdependent and synchronized rhythms of all the chambers are critical to the viability of the entire heart as well as the flow of life for you and me.

Let the right atrium beat for my family and me, the left atrium beat for my neighborhood, community and Alabama. Let my right ventricle beat for all those who voted in ways which I easily understand and my left ventricle beat for all throughout our United states and those Americans dwelling, living and working overseas,including all of our people who lovingly serve us by serving in the military and our 4 astronauts in space.
Only with the recognition that all of us comprise the beating heart of a vastly complex and interdependent American heart shall we all survive. Grant me and those whom I know and those whom I do not know one additional meaure of patience - patience to see others whom I do not ordinarily see. Grant me a wider view so that my perspective is not limited only to my own view.
Grant me additional wisdom to breathe before I knee-jerk react...and perhaps my neighbors will emulate my conduct. Let my spiritual heart influence my daily thoughts and conduct.
God, bless us all and bless all of humanity.

Help us all to aspire to bring cooperation into our daily shared world.

Ken Yehi Ratzon.
Rabbi Steve Silberman

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day to all-

To our fathers --
for teaching us how to tie our shoes, ride our bikes, dust ourselves off after a fall -

for tucking us in at night and chasing away the monsters and making us feel safe in dark rooms-

for laughing when we made a mess and teaching us it's okay to laugh at ourselves-

for showing us how to stand in line and take turns-

for the fathers who taught some of us how to use tools and build -

for the fathers who couldn't, but did teach us how to learn on our own-

for the fathers who helped us with homework and were more curious than we were and for the fathers who couldn't express curiosity but reveled in our curiosity-

for the fathers who were physically strong and could fix anything-
for the fathers who taught us strength comes from devotion to higher purpose-
for the fathers who hugged us and kissed us unabashedly and for the fathers who shook hands-
for the fathers who shed tears without being self-conscious

for the fathers who read stories to us and for the fathers who worked long hours so we might have a roof over our heads-

for the dads who were always a part of our lives -

and for the dads in our lives who lived as our fathers and shaped us (even if technically by blood they were not 'fathers')-

for the fathers who have been close at hand and for the fathers who lived a bit more distantly but have touched us nonetheless-

for the fathers who are still with us and for the fathers who have died but are ever-present-

for the fathers and for the dads- who loved each one of us, each unique in his own way-

our gratefulness and our love -always

With love, respect, honor, gratitude and appreciation to all of our fathers-Shalom , Rabbi Steve Silberman

05/12/2024

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother's Day - to the woman who carried us within herself and brought us into this world,
to the woman who welcomed us into her heart even if she did not carry us in her womb,
to the woman who nursed us when we were sick and comforted us when we were afraid,
to the woman who bandaged our cuts and mended our wounds,
to the woman who laughed with us and cried with us, knowing the right time for the right type of tears,

to the woman who fed us and the woman who taught us how to feed ourselves,
to the woman who cared for us and to the woman who taught us to care for ourselves,
to the woman who embraced us and the woman who worked two jobs in order that we have our needs met,

to the woman who helped us with homework and the woman who worked so we would have a home,
to the woman who snuggled with us and rocked us to sleep and to the woman who loved us beyond measure but may have not overtly shown it,

to the woman who colored pictures and read to us and to the woman who never had such a role model but made it clear she loved us just the same,
to the woman who said "I love you" and to the very special one who spoke with hands and eyes and actions but not words,

to the person who cared for us beyond description and did not fit into any mold,

and to the person who, by circumstance, received one of us and mightily rose to the challenge becoming, regardless of gender or lineage, Mother.
We love you.
Rabbi Steve Silberman

12/18/2023

Monday Morning Breather

06/18/2023

Happy Father’s Day to all-
To our fathers --
for teaching us how to tie our shoes, ride our bikes, dust ourselves off after a fall -

for tucking us in at night and chasing away the monsters and making us feel safe in dark rooms-

for laughing when we made a mess and teaching us it's okay to laugh at ourselves-

for showing us how to stand in line and take turns-

for the fathers who taught some of us how to use tools and build -

for the fathers who couldn't, but did teach us how to learn on our own-

for the fathers who helped us with homework and were more curious than we were and for the fathers who couldn't express curiosity but reveled in our curiosity-

for the fathers who were physically strong and could fix anything-
for the fathers who taught us strength comes from devotion to higher purpose-
for the fathers who hugged us and kissed us unabashedly and for the fathers who shook hands-
for the fathers who shed tears without being self-conscious

for the fathers who read stories to us and for the fathers who worked long hours so we might have a roof over our heads-

for the dads who were always a part of our lives -

and for the dads in our lives who lived as our fathers and shaped us (even if technically by blood they were not 'fathers')-

for the fathers who have been close at hand and for the fathers who lived a bit more distantly but have touched us nonetheless-

for the fathers who are still with us and for the fathers who have died but are ever-present-

for the fathers and for the dads- who loved each one of us, each unique in his own way-

our gratefulness and our love -always

With love, respect and appreciation to all of our fathers-Shalom, Rabbi Steve Silberman

01/13/2023

Contemporary music for the Jewish soul. 7PM Saturday January 16!

09/09/2022

Shofar before Shabbas

09/02/2022

Shofar Shalom

07/04/2022

HAPPY JULY 4!

Your grandchildren are watching us. Not only is history watching us but, so, too are your grandchildren. The eyes of anyone older than the age of 4,5 and 6 are upon us for they have heard us say”Help people in trouble, be patient and take turns, clean up your mess, use your inside voice and most of all, tell the truth.” The little ones who have brought exceptional delight into your hearts and spirits, who have turned to you for loving hugs and smiles, who seek an extra cookie, who can do almost no wrong and have a unique place in your heart, are upon you and all of us.
Your grandchildren are wondering how it is possible for grown-ups to shout and argue, scream and insult when talking - not hearing other views. The little ones who can barely rest their chins on a countertop do not understand why their mommies and daddies and we are frightened as we worry about women who will not be able to go the hospital if they need special care. Little ones who still snuggle with teddybears as we tuck them in do not comprehend how adults storm out of a room and say “ I can’t talk to that type of person who is changing everything about themselves.”
We, their parents and grandparents and teachers and family friends, tell our shared little people “Help people in trouble, be patient and take turns, clean up your mess, use your inside voice and most of all, tell the truth.” But their eyes and ears are open to us every moment of their early years - desperate to learn from us. They are attuned to us because they know we understand the world, for we have lived through it many more years than they. Yet, we are failing our grandchildren.
Americans on many diverse sides of too many fences and walls to count have closed their minds to trying to live in a shared land with other Americans.
Your grandchildren’s parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, politicians and teachers, cafe workers and electricians and millions of others have set poor examples. The words “Help people in trouble, be patient and take turns, clean up your mess, use your inside voice and most of all, tell the truth,” ring hollow in their ears and if not right, now then when they become bit older and a bit more discerning. Before you tell them one more time to “tell the truth” ask yourself whom we champion for elections.
As you instruct your grandchild in good sportsmanship on a little league team, remember to treat the referee with respect and to not cuss out parents in a parking lot.
And when your grandchildren argue and nearly raise their small hands to hit - ask their grandparents if they have modeled appropriate conflict resolution and taught by example instead of merely saying “ Help people in trouble, be patient and take turns, clean up your mess, use your inside voice and most of all, tell the truth.”

The road to freedom begins with daily steps of respect and patience. It is not easy, indeed it is incredibly hard. That is why freedom is not a gift, but a choice to be worked for and made.
As we mark the 4th of July for our nation we renew our own daily efforts to construct a free society beginning with improving the quality of our interactions within our families, our neighborhoods and most importantly, with strangers.
Remembering the words of Albert Einstein “ Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

May we celebrate July 4 and grow in our patriotism.
Peace.
Rabbi Steve Silberman

06/19/2022

Happy Father’s Day to all-
To our fathers --
for teaching us how to tie our shoes, ride our bikes, dust ourselves off after a fall -

for tucking us in at night and chasing away the monsters and making us feel safe in dark rooms-

for laughing when we made a mess and teaching us it's okay to laugh at ourselves-

for showing us how to stand in line and take turns-

for the fathers who taught some of us how to use tools and build -

for the fathers who couldn't, but did teach us how to learn on our own-

for the fathers who helped us with homework and were more curious than we were and for the fathers who couldn't express curiosity but reveled in our curiosity-

for the fathers who hugged us and kissed us unabashedly and for the fathers who shook hands-

for the fathers who read stories to us and for the fathers who worked long hours so we might have a roof over our heads-

for the dads who were always a part of our lives -

and for the dads in our lives who lived as our fathers and shaped us (even if technically by blood they were not 'fathers')-

for the fathers who have been close at hand and for the fathers who lived a bit more distantly but have touched us nonetheless-

for the fathers who are still with us and for the fathers who have died but are ever-present-

for the fathers and for the dads- who loved each one of us, each unique in his own way-

our gratefulness and our love -always

With love, respect and appreciation to all of our fathers-Shalom , Rabbi Steve Silberman