Cary Kozberg

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Jan 11, 2024, 3:42 PM

We won’t ‘make like a tree and leave’

I write this on Rosh Hodesh Shvat which means that Tu b’Shvat, the Jewish new year of the trees, is two weeks away. This year, according to the Western calendar, it falls on January 25, exactly one month after...

Nov 8, 2023, 2:08 AM

“…Before All Hell Breaks Loose”

As I write this— -- Israel continues to mourn its deaths and fight its enemies and the true extent of Hamas’ savagery against innocents and its disregard for its own citizens has been revealed. The current death toll from the...

Jul 25, 2023, 12:55 AM

What did you hear at Sinai? To new b’nei mitzvah

As the summer begins to wind down and youngsters begin to prepare for going back to school, young Jews in the 12- to13-year old age range are most likely gearing up for their bar/bat mitzvah during the upcoming school...

May 12, 2023, 4:21 PM

Herding ‘Katz’

Like many families, our family has specific and beloved Passover seder traditions. One of ours is that before reciting ha lachma anya (“This is the bread of affliction…”), everyone takes a piece of matzah, puts it on their shoulder,...

Mar 1, 2023, 5:09 PM

Is the vacation over?

As I write this, the “Day of Hate” proclaimed for February 25, 2023 by contemporary Jew-haters has come and gone, apparently without serious incident. This “Day of Hate” was intended to intimidate Jewish communities around the country. In response,...

Dec 2, 2022, 6:28 PM

In Every Age…

“We kindle these candles because of the wondrous deliverance You performed for our ancestors. During these eight days of Hannukah these lights are sacred; we are not to use them but only to look at them, so that their...

Jul 25, 2022, 9:19 PM

‘The Lord Is My Shepherd,’ but I’m not just a sheep

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through...

May 29, 2022, 6:09 PM

Put God, prayer, and the 10 Commandments back in schools

Moses and Aaron with the Ten Commandments, by Aron de Chaves/z, in Amsterdam, painted from 1674-1675. (Wikimedia Commons)

The murders in Uvalde cast a shadow on the celebration of the giving of the law. We must redouble our efforts to uphold its morality, values, and precepts

Jan 27, 2022, 3:46 PM

Invoking “The Kinkster”: Thoughts After Colleyville

Known for his uniquely irreverent wit, Richard “Kinky” Friedman is a Jewish country-western singer/songwriter from my home state of Texas. He is also the author of detective mysteries and a former gubernatorial candidate. Although not among the most famous in...

Jul 9, 2021, 8:38 PM

Going to the dogs

Last week we had to put our dog Mia down. This week we had to put our dog Misha down. Both dogs were old and sick. Both were rescues and they enriched our lives for over 10 years. Mia...

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About Me

Cary Kozberg is rabbi of Temple Sholom, Springfield, Ohio.