In our religious traditions, we recognize that the reality of God and the nature of our relationship with the divine are a mystery that transcend the limitations of human speech. To impart a sense of God’s presence and to make that relationship closer and more immediate, however, scripture and liturgy employ images and metaphors that […]
Rabbi Barry Marks
Rabbi Barry Marks served as rabbi of Temple Israel until his retirement in 2020 and was one of the founders of the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association. He has been active in community organizations and currently serves on the board of United Way of Central Illinois.
Posted inArts & Culture
The Miracle of the Lights
I begin by wishing those of our readers who celebrate Christmas a joyous and blessed holiday. As we approach the beginning of a new year, I hope that for all of us 2025 will be a time of health, of happiness and of fulfillment and that the new year might witness a lessening of the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
You shall rejoice in your festival
The Jewish lunar month of Tishri, which falls in September and October on the civil calendar, is the busiest time of the Jewish year, filled with holidays and observances both solemn and joyous. Within the past two weeks we have celebrated Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the start […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Sound the ram’s horn on our feast day
On the religious calendar used in the Jewish community to determine when holidays are to be celebrated or observed, we are currently in the month of Elul, the last month of the calendar year. Rosh Hashanah, the New Year holiday, will be observed this year on Wednesday evening, Oct. 2, and Thursday and Friday, Oct. […]
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You are not free to stand aside
One of the most beloved of Jewish texts is Pirkei Avot, (The Ethics of the Fathers), a collection of wise sayings attributed to the Jewish sages who lived during the last several centuries before the Common Era and the two centuries following. Avot (as it is called for the sake of brevity) is a tractate […]
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Independence Day reflections
The Fourth of July is an occasion for picnics, parades, fireworks and patriotic oratory celebrating our history and heritage as a country. As a child I enjoyed having my Dad home from work on a weekday, going out as a family to eat, and, after nightfall, watching the fireworks that were shot off from the […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Lobbyist for society’s vulnerable
When Len Lieberman was hired in 1981 to be the Government Affairs Director for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, he had found his dream job. In his previous positions working for the state, he had acquired an impressive knowledge of state government and of the legislative process that would serve him in good stead. […]
Posted inNews
Faith and practice
Rabbi Barry Marks inside Temple Israel, where he has served for more than 40 years. Photo BY DAVID HINE Springfield’s original Jewish settlers arrived in the city in the 1850s. Some of them moved into Springfield from the surrounding small towns, where they had lived previously. Early immigrant Jews frequently began working as peddlers, selling […]
