Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

New web host, new look! Bear with me while I set things up and make sure the content and links I had before are updated in the coming weeks.

Abuse

October 21, 2026

The Moral Dilemma of Exit vs. Voice (Parashat Lech L’cha 5778/2017)

This was my D’var Torah for Parashat Lech L’cha on Shabbat morning, October 28, 2017 (5778). I have been thinking about two things this week that present in a way the same moral dilemma. For the past couple of weeks, the revelations of sexual harrassment and assault from Harvey Weinstein, the movie executive, have sparked… Continue reading

Abuse, Anger, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Feminism, Hope, Justice, Leadership, Lech L’cha, Middot, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Power, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
February 20, 2025

A Year of Jewish Ethics #11: Exodus and Ethics

Most of this series is about specific concepts in Jewish ethics, but like the last one I recorded I want to talk here about something foundational, namely the Exodus story and how it generates so much of Jewish ethics. Sometimes when we say “Exodus” we’re talking about the part we focus on during Pesach, the… Continue reading

A Year of Jewish Ethics, Abuse, Antisemitism, Ethics, Exodus, Middot, Parashat Hashavua, Shmot, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
October 27, 2023

You Are Not Alone, You Are a Blessing

This is the D'var Torah I plan to give tomorrow in services, October 28, 2023 for Parashat Lech L'cha, the opening of the saga of Sarah and Avraham, three weeks after the Hamas attacks of October 7 and as the war continues in Gaza. Who said the Torah had to be divided into 54 roughly… Continue reading

Abuse, Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Gaza, Hope, Israel, Jerusalem, Lech L’cha, Parashat Hashavua, Torah, Young Jewish Adult
December 29, 2020

Disrupting Texts is a Tradition — My Hosea Story

A Facebook post by a congregant highlighted a controversy around an initiative called #DisruptTexts, and my response to it was going to be much longer than a typical FB comment. #DisruptTexts as a specific project isn’t something I had heard of, but as I skimmed the website the other day it certainly doesn’t seem brand… Continue reading

Abuse, B’midbar, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Ethics, Feminism, Foregiveness, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Numbers, Parashat Hashavua, Prophets, Ritual, Study, Teacher-Student Relationship, Teens, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
November 18, 2016

An Open Letter to Speaker Paul Ryan

This is a letter that I am mailing and publishing, prompted by the appointment of Stephen Bannon as chief strategist for President-Elect Trump. It reflects my personal political perspective and my own read on what Mr. Bannon represents, which overlap but are not the same as many of my friends and readers. I will also be sending… Continue reading

Abuse, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, Ethics, Freedom, GLBT, Health Care, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Lashon Hara, Leadership, Peace, Rabbi, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedakah, Tzedek, USA
July 14, 2016

Walking With, Into, and Through Difference – Part 1

It is said sometimes that a rabbi will speak or teach the same thing over and over. So it's great to realize when you learn something knew, and not bad when it's from yourself. Last Shabbat I said something in my D'var Torah, reflecting on Elie Wiesel — that getting the details right is important,… Continue reading

Abuse, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Tikkun Olam, USA
December 9, 2011

Parashat Vayishlach — Penn State and the Rape of Dina

Now Dina, the daughter of Leah whom she had borne to Yaakov, went out to see among the daughters of the land. And he saw her: Shechem son of Chamor the Hivite, chief of the land, and he took her and he lay with her and he raped her. Then his soul was drawn to… Continue reading

Abuse, Current Affairs, Parashat Hashavua, Vayishlach, Young Jewish Adult, Youth