Rabbi Brian’s Blog 2-24-2021

February 25, 2021 by •

People often ask me, “Rabbi Brian, what does a rabbi do all day?”

So I thought I would share most of my schedule for February 22 to 24:

  • Drove 2 hours from St Paul in heavy snow and dark, after dropping off my son.
  • 7 AM Gundersen Cardiology – ultrasound (Congratulations! It’s a rabbi!)
  • Picked up omelet breakfast to go
  • Phone call – Member with problems at work
  • Phone call – Member wants to meet for coffee, set up Zoom instead
  • Zoom – Couple about moving to La Crosse from Milwaukee
  • Dropoff – Gave Jail chaplain book on Jewish practices for inmate who is studying Judaism
  • Call from hospital chaplain re: dying Jewish woman with no family
  • Worked on Powerpoint for Mom’s Yahrzeit service; conducted service at night
  • Bought Purim supplies at various stores – sorted all into bags for each family to pick up
  • Text messages and Zooms with both daughters and fiancée
  • Zoom – Help from member re: website design
  • Phone – someone hospitalized with mental health issues
  • Purim YouTube clips for use on Thursday
  • Sent family and friends a joke
  • Phone call from woman in a nearby city who has custody of 2 young children with Jewish heritage, interested in conversion; I referred her to my Basic Judaism class
  • Wrote an article for our weekly newsletter.
  • Picked up toner cartridges for printer.
  • Practiced chanting from the Megillah on Purim.
  • Called Iowa and Chicago re: Pesach food orders for the congregation.
  • Put the non-High Holy Day torah covers and curtains back in place, helped by a member.
  • Applied for membership in the International Federation of Rabbis, got two references
  • Prepared the weekly CSOA newsletter and Sunday School news
  • Wrote two bios for Mensch-of-the-Year awards in St. Paul
  • Followed up on billing with my medical clinic
  • Watched a documentary on Debbie Friedman’s impact on Jewish music and prayer
  • Watched a memoir by the producer of the Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof
  • Attended the funeral of a dear friend by Zoom in St. Paul
  • Moderated a Zoom movie discussion of The Meyerowitz Stories
  • Went for a 1-hour bike ride
  • Sent a plant to a member family