Books

January 14, 2026

Exodus Is the Foundation of Everything (Parashat Shmot 5786)

This was my D’var Torah on Shabbat for Parashat Shmot, January 10, 2026. It has been a week, from Iran to Venezuela to my hometown the Twin Cities. And it has also been the week of Parashat Shmot, the opening of the book of Exodus, the most important book in human history. If you have… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Books, Current Affairs, Equality, Exodus, Freedom, Holidays, Parashat Hashavua, Pesach, Shmot, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
October 9, 2025

I’m a Sophomore!

There is much momentous happening today, and I’m sure I’ll be back here or in some other way with thoughts on that. But for now I’m posting about another project. A couple weeks ago I started the second year of re-reading my college notes again, on (more or less) the calendar date when I wrote… Continue reading

Adam Smith, Books, College, Ethics, Freedom, Middot, Psychology, Social Theory, Tocqueville, USA, Young Jewish Adult
January 29, 2025

Wrapping Up My First Semester

I am probably already getting a late start on my second semester of college review, so here I am bundling all my leftover notes about first term. I haven't mentioned my Hebrew literature class with Professor Safran. I don't know that I have notes. We read mostly Agnon stories, and talked a lot about his… Continue reading

Books, College, Ethics, Hebrew, Justice, Psychology, Tzedek, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
March 21, 2024

Purim: The Buddy Film

This was my D’var Torah for Shabbat morning, March 16, 2024, Parashat Pekudei. which fell this year about a week before Purim. It’s already after the Oscars, but I have a pitch for a new movie — it could even be a franchise! It’s about a pair of young friends who travel the world together.… Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Current Affairs, Esther, Film, Friendship, Harry Potter, Holidays, Immigration, Inclusion, Joy, Leadership, Midrash, Movies, Parashat Hashavua, Pekudei, Purim, Shabbat, Synagogue, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
January 22, 2024

Exaggerating the Exodus: The Siddur Is the Opposite of the “Slave Bible”

This is a slightly revised version of a D'var Torah I gave on the Shabbat that was the last day of Pesach in 5782 (2022). Right before Pesach in 2022, a bunch of people mentioned to me an article they had seen from the New York Times by Rabbi Sharon Brous. Her piece referenced… Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Exodus, Freedom, History, Holidays, Hope, Justice, Pesach, Prayer, Spirituality, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek
May 23, 2023

The Torah Is Not a TED Talk

This is a D'var Torah I shared February 11, 2023 for Parashat Yitro, but I'm publishing it now right before Shavuot, when we read the same section of the Torah, Exodus 19-20. This book — the Torah — has been read and encountered by millions of people through so many generations, and changed their lives… Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Conservative Judaism, Ethics, Heschel, Holidays, Maimonides, Parashat Hashavua, Prophets, Revelation, Shavuot, Study, Torah, Yitro
February 24, 2022

My Testimony on “Divisive Concepts”

I testified at two committees of the New Hampshire legislature on bills to change or repeal our new "divisive concepts" law — Senate Judiciary and House Education. I said essentially the same things at both hearings. Here it is, video and my written statement (they are the same). Mr. Chairman and Honored Representatives: Thank… Continue reading

#integratingamerica, 9/11, Antisemitism, Books, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Education, Equality, Ethics, Freedom, History, Holocaust, Hope, Immigration, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Study, Taking Sides, Teacher-Student Relationship, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Youth
January 11, 2022

Rechavia, Sabba Moshe, and the Night Before Leaving Egypt: A Midrash

I wrote this midrash on the 5th of Sheva 5782 (January 8, 2022) as my Dvar Torah for Parashat Bo, and in particular chapters 11-12 of Exodus, which introduce and lead into and through the last of the ten plagues in Egypt. I was thinking about issues of collective accountability and responsibility, which are the ethical… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Bo, Books, Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, Hope, Justice, Leadership, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Pesach, Shabbat Hachodesh, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA
December 23, 2021

One of My Best: How the Book of Exodus Changed Everything

I wrote and posted this a few years ago about this week's Torah reading — one of my favorite things I've written. Hardly original, but still good! https://rabbijon.net/2018/01/12/why-exodus-is-the-most-important-book-of-all-time/ Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Ethics, Freedom, History, Holidays, Justice, Parashat Hashavua, Pesach, Shmot, Study, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek
September 30, 2021

So What Exactly Is The Torah?

We start the annual cycle of reading and studying Torah once again this week! So, what is the Torah when you zoom out and think about it as a whole, and not just story by story or teaching by teaching? Continue reading

Bereshit, Books, Calendar, Education, Parashat Hashavua, Simchat Torah, Study, Theology, Torah
September 23, 2021

Integrating America: What I Hope To Get From This Year

Assignment: Complete this thought — "I am about to begin a year of study about America…" This is the final bit of preliminaries, before delving into history and literature. I wanted to put down a few of my own goals in taking a sustained, hopefully deep survey of American history since colonial times.… Continue reading

#integratingamerica, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Equality, Freedom, History, Hope, Immigration, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Justice, Study, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Youth
September 20, 2021

Integrating America: Lame Deer and the Native American Critic

Summer reading assignment: Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions: by John (Fire) Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes Before year 1 of the course, Leslie thought this book would pair well with my Michael Walzer, “connected critic” idea, since Lame Deer was a Native American, an outside observer. I was skeptical but now I’m glad… Continue reading

#integratingamerica, Antisemitism, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Foregiveness, History, Hope, Inclusion, Peace, Study, Teens, Tzedek, USA, Youth