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Our Clergy

Rabbi Emeritus Ron Shapiro, Assistant Rabbi Jenn Mangold, Senior Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, Associate Rabbi/Director of Congregational Learning Rabbi Rachel Kaplan Marks, Cantor Karen Berman.

Freeing Ourselves from Excess

by Rabbi Jenn Mangold

This past fall, as brilliantly colored leaves blew from the tree I used to climb, my parents prepared to sell my childhood home. Cleaning the house and moving out was a bittersweet experience filled with laughter, tears, and an infinity of garbage bags.  

While organizing our home, we were overcome with nostalgia as we contemplated throwing out material objects from the past. The giant Snoopy stuffed animal my grandfather gave to my older sister—my third-grade art portfolio—a broken old pencil sharpener my grandmother bought for me when we took a trip to Ellis Island—these objects were difficult to throw away.  

Parting with artifacts from The Museum of One’s Past is painful. Some objects hold deep sentimental value; we associate them with cherished memories and dear loved ones. As we throw away these objects, we may feel as though we are throwing away memories themselves.

Discarding objects passed down to us from deceased relatives brings a unique pain of its own, sometimes forcing us to grieve the loss all over again. Some of us feel a sense of guilt when we let go of our loved ones’ possessions, as though it means we are forgetting about them. Read more here.

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Watch Avner Avraham's Presentation at Shalom on March 10