Welcome to 'Baum's Branches'! Every week, I hope to share deep wisdom rooted in the 3,000-year-old Jewish tradition with a wider audience. 

Why the name Baum's Branches? Seems kind of corny. Am I signing up for weekly dad jokes from a rabbi?

No, and I'm glad you asked:

'Baum's Branches' is a play on words. Baum (pronounced as "bowm" not "bomb") means tree in German, which is also my last name. The Torah, the center of our faith and people, is called a 'tree of life' or the Etz Chaim. The Jewish people believe in deep roots as the key to our success, we are constantly digging the wells of our ancestors, but we also branch out, bringing the timeless wisdom of our tradition to the modern world.

Imagine a vibrant forest where Torah roots intertwine with worldly branches, offering a rich tapestry of thought-provoking articles, uplifting sermons, and enlightening podcasts. Each week, I will offer space for spiritual growth and intellectual exploration, that will shape our worldview together. 

I will include: 

• Weekly original Divrei Torah/sermons (either from a previous year, the previous week or even that week’s sermon)

• Links to articles (mostly from the Jewish press), podcasts, and videos that helped shape my view of the world this week

• More to come! 

I created this digital digest for my beloved chaverim/congregants, Congregation Shaarei Kodesh of Boca Raton, who are looking to delve a little deeper each week, but also those around the world whom I may know or whom I’ve never met. I’ve been in Boca Raton a long time now, and not everyone stays in our area, so this digital digest is a way for me to share my Torah with you, both near and far!

Whether you're seeking guidance, inspiration, or simply a moment of reflection before Shabbat, you can grab onto 'Baum's Branches,' reflect, and prepare for a day of reflection and rest.

This week, especially on Monday and Tuesday, the words of Kohelet spoke to me. We read in the book of Ecclesiastes:

“There is a season that is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time for birthing and a time for dying, a time for fighting and a time for healing, a time for tearing down and a time for building up, a time for weeping and a time for laughing, a time for wailing and a time for dancing; a time for embracing and a time for shunning embraces; A time for seeking and a time for losing, a time for keeping and a time for discarding; A time for silence and a time for speaking; A time for loving and a time for hating; A time for war and a time for peace.”

Many asked the question this week: how can Israel and the Jewish people celebrate Israel’s Independence when she is at war in an existential battle for her future? Are we in a time of joy or heartbreak? Laughing or weeping? Wailing or dancing? 

The holidays of Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day, a day when Israel remembers all fallen IDF soldiers and victims of terror, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, marking the establishment of the modern state of Israel on May 14, 1948, observed on the 5th of the Hebrew month of Iyar, represent two extremes. On Yom HaZikaron, Israel remembers the lives taken, mostly lives of young men and woman whose whole lives were in front of them, but who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and our people. On Yom Ha’atzmaut, we celebrate the miracle of the return of Jewish sovereignty to Israel after 2,000 years of exile, arguably the greatest event in Jewish history since the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem. The truly incredible aspect of these holidays is that they come one after another with no transition. Israeli Memorial Day seamlessly blends into Israeli Independence Day. Although Israeli Independence Day is a day of unbridled joy, one cannot be faulted for bringing a piece of the sadness of the previous day before with us into the joy. 

This week, our community came together in a solemn but hopeful ceremony to mark these two days. We heard from local dignitaries and leaders, soldiers wounded in the war, and more. I was honored to stand on the stage with my local rabbinic colleagues across the denominational spectrum to pray for Israel’s welfare with one voice in our holy, timeless, and unifying language, Hebrew. Our Federation community put together a truly special program to mark two holidays that have never felt this way before. We ended the evening with songs of hope, listening to beautiful music played by incredible Israeli musicians, and even dancing in the aisles. Just as we include the breaking of a glass at a wedding, to lessen the joy just a little to include some brokenness, we too must add some hope and joy during times of immense pain and sorrow. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Baum

Here's why I recommend this piece

Israel, and the Jewish people, just observed the New 'High Holidays' of Israel, the days from Yom Hashoah to Yom Ha’atzmaut. Beginning with remembering the Holocaust, to remembering the soldiers who gave their lives for the state of Israel as well as victims of terror on Yom HaZikaron, to the unbridled joy and celebration of Yom Ha'atzamut. But what do these holidays mean for us this year? The Dvar Torah above speaks about the journey we've taken, with real-life stories of Jewish survival and triumph over tragedy.

Here's why I recommend this piece

Ilene Prusher is an incredible journalist who has served in war zones from Afghanistan to Iraq and spent many years in Israel as a journalist. She's also a published author and much more. But more than that, she's a dear friend and a great person with an incredible sense of journalistic ethics! Also, the University of Florida is a place that is near and dear to our hearts (both Alissa and I are alums - Go Gators!). Please take some time to read the article above ☝️

Podcasts About the Campus Protests

Podcast for This Year's Unique Yom Ha'atzmaut