Rabbi Mendel Liberow: Why be thankful?
Recently, Chabad of South County Women’s Circle hosted a pre-Thanksgiving event titled, “Give Thanks by Giving Back.” We gathered to make fleece blankets and care packages to donate to Rebekah Children’s Services. I was heartened and touched by the tremendous response from our community...
Religion: The City on the Hill
In a recent article in the New York Times (Dec. 12, 2025), the columnist Thomas L. Friedman said this: “If you ask me what’s the most dangerous statistic in the world today …the Gallup Poll that said fewer people than ever are going to church. Because…...
From My Perspective: Great is Thy Faithfulness
Faith is discussed in many Bible passages. I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase being justified by faith (Romans 5:1-2), salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and Matthew 17:20 referencing having faith the size of a mustard seed. Hebrews chapter 11 speaks...
Religion: Response to a Vocal Minority
In the San Francisco Bay Area, we seem to be in a bubble of more open-minded thinking and inclusion. There are other places, regions and states that seem to be filled with fear of the outsider and suspicion of neighbors of different ethnicity, national...
Religion: Spiritual communities remain
“Follow your dream—you can do it!” That is the encouragement often offered to children, to youth and to adults in our lives. It is an encouragement to be bold, to pursue their dreams and to persist through difficulties.
But what is that dream? What is...
Religion: Becoming the best version of ourselves
If you were told to repent the day before you die, when should you start repenting? Right now!
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (10 days apart) are the Jewish High Holy Days. Observance includes communal prayer, food (such as apples dipped in honey for a...
Religion, Rabbi Mendel Liberow: From foreigner to family
The word “foreigner” gets bandied around a lot in the news. Often, it’s a term reserved for people from another country, but it’s frequently used to describe anyone who looks or acts differently.
I want to share my own experience with a foreigner in Morgan...
Religion: The best ideals and a challenge
The Father of our nation, George Washington, had a remarkable correspondence with the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, John Carroll. At the time Catholics were, at best, 1% of the population of the young nation and were living in only two states:...
Religion: Staying in the conversation
Deep in the faith of most Americans is the belief that there is a “Just God,” regardless of which religious faith one follows.
Even those who approach this universe primarily from a scientific view, note that “how things work” points to an order that must...
Religion: Banish the Darkness, Spread the Light
As we approach the darkest time of the year, Jews prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. The ancient story took place in the 2nd century BCE during the reign of Syrian-Greek King Antiochus IV. He imposed harsh decrees upon the Jews forbidding...





















