There is a particular kind of serendipity that doesn't announce itself. You only recognize it looking back. In 2023, Rabbi Martin Hirsch come from Chile and immediately won the hearts of the Snoa congregation. He was wonderful, and we were excited about him in the way you are excited when something fits. The board offered him a full-time position, but before he could start, Rabbi Hirsch needed to return to Chile to prepare for the move, which meant that for six weeks the Snoa

I don't remember meeting Ron Gomes Casseres. That's because I can't recall a time in my life when I didn't know him. Ron, a close friend of my father's, is like a dear uncle to me. I value his input, respect his opinion, and trust in his presence. Our families celebrated many holidays together over the years. That he and I share a passion for the Snoa community, and that it brings us together in new ways, is one of the quiet gifts that this work has given me. Ron descends fro

There is sand on the floor of the Snoa. It has been there for centuries, and depending on who you ask, the reasons are different. Some say it recalls the line in the Torah where God promises Abraham that his offspring will be as plentiful as the sand on the seashores. Others point to the Inquisition, when our ancestors covered the floors to muffle the sound of prayer, worship that had to be hidden to survive. Snoa historian Ron Gomes Casseres offers a simpler explanation: it