Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

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Justice

October 27, 2026

Tu B’Av and Pride Shabbat

This was my D’var Torah for our Pride Shabbat on August 9, 2025, which was Shabbat Nachamu and Tu B’Av, a celebration and calendar date explained within. I’m publishing it now to catch up on words of Torah I’ve previously taught, in anticipation of our next Pride Shabbat this coming Saturday, October 31, 2026. The… Continue reading

Calendar, Current Affairs, Equality, Feminism, Gender, GLBT, Holidays, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Joy, Justice, LGBTQ+, Love, Midrash, Talmud, Temple Beth Abraham, Tikkun Olam, Tu B’Av, Tzedek, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
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
October 21, 2026

A Vision for Beth Abraham: The Two Houses of Avraham and Sarah

This is a version of a visioning piece I worked on in 2019 for our synagogue which is called Beth Abraham, the “House of Abraham” or as I call it the “House of Abraham and Sarah.” I shared this version as a D’var Torah for Parashat Lech L’cha on Shabbat morning, November 9, 2019 (5780).… Continue reading

Blessing, Chesed, Current Affairs, Dreams/Dreaming, Education, Ethics, Food, Friendship, Gratitude, History, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Joy, Justice, Leadership, Lech L’cha, Love, Middot, Parashat Hashavua, Prayer, Rabbi, Social Theory, Spirituality, Temple Beth Abraham, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, Vayera
October 21, 2026

Moral Adventure

This was my D’var Torah for the second day of Rosh Hashanah in 5776 (2015). Part of the idea I have to credit to Rabbi Sharon Brous for a Rosh Hashanah sermons of her I read sometime before then, called “Moral Conundrum Ahead“, which is where I think I first got the idea of “moral… Continue reading

College, Ethics, High Holidays, Holidays, Justice, Leadership, Lech L’cha, Middot, Money, Parashat Hashavua, Power, Rosh Hashanah, Social Theory, Teshuvah, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Vayera, Yamim Noraim, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
July 2, 2026

A Jewish Leap of Faith Into Our Democracy (Yom Kippur 5783/2022)

This was my Yom Kippur morning sermon for 5783 (2022). As with other Yom Kippur morning words of mine, I was speaking right after the Haftarah, which is mostly from Isaiah 58, and the final words here are from there. When we all stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments,… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Election, Equality, Freedom, High Holidays, History, Inclusion, Justice, Midrash, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Yamim Noraim
July 2, 2026

Why I Chose America

This is a D’var Torah I gave just before Independence Day 5776 (2016), for Parashat Sh’lach L’cha. I became an American for good the same year I had decided to become Israeli, and the same year I decided to become more observant, and the same year I pretty much decided to become a rabbi. I… Continue reading

#integratingamerica, Calendar, Conservative Judaism, Equality, Freedom, History, Immigration, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Parashat Hashavua, Sh’lach L’cha, Social Theory, Tikkun Olam, Torah, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
June 19, 2026

Exploring Equality as American Jews as We Approach 250 (Parashat Korach 5786)

Here is my current draft of a D’var Torah for this Shabbat on Parashat Korach. It’s one of many in this period leading up and beyond July 4, the 250th anniversary of the U.S.A. June 20, 1776, was a Saturday just like this year. On that day the town meeting in Natick, Massachusetts, unanimously approved… Continue reading

Books, Calendar, Current Affairs, Equality, History, Inclusion, Justice, Korach, Leadership, Numbers, Parashat Hashavua, Social Theory, Torah, Tzedek, USA
May 27, 2026

After Tel Aviv and Orlando (Parashat Naso 5776/2016)

These is a slightly edited version of the words I delivered these words as an introduction to the Torah reading at Shabbat morning services for Parashat Naso on June 18, 2016, on a day we celebrated a Bar Mitzvah in the congregation. Shabbat Shalom. It is so good today — הנה מה טוב ומה נעים… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, GLBT, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, LGBTQ+, Love, Naso, Parashat Hashavua, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
April 29, 2026

How Jewish Law Is Made (Parashat Emor 5782)

This was my D’var Torah on Parashat Emor in 2022/5782. Our parasha describes the case of a fight between two men, and for some reason it’s worth mentioning that one of them had an Egyptian father and an Israelite mother, and the other had two Israelite parents, and in the middle of the fight the… Continue reading

Conservative Judaism, Current Affairs, Emor, Equality, Halacha, Justice, Parashat Hashavua, Torah, USA
January 6, 2026

Brotherhood, Evolving (Parashat Shmot, MLK Weekend 5783/2023)

This is excerpted and adapted from a D’var Torah I gave in January 2023, when MLK Weekend began on Shabbat with Parashat Shmot, the opening reading in the book of Exodus. Here I’ve omitted the (long) opening, which is very similar to most of the other words I have posted about those opening chapters of… Continue reading

Civil Rights, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Exodus, History, Inclusion, Justice, MLK Day, Moshe, Parashat Hashavua, Shmot, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
October 23, 2025

During the Flood, Inside the Ark — Learning From Bonhoeffer and the Freiburg School

This was my D’var Torah about Parashat Noach in 5783 (2022). This Torah reading centers on the Flood. This teaching here is about “during the Flood”, and at the end I discourage us from seeing our era as sliding toward the Flood. If we do see it that way, we still might ask the question… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Economics, Ethics, Holocaust, Hope, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, Noach, Noah, Parashat Hashavua, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek
October 12, 2025

Why Our Jewish Community Should Be at the CROP Hunger Walk

If you’re in our area, I hope you will be part of next Sunday’s interfaith CROP Hunger Walk. Here is why I think that’s important always, and especially for all of us thinking about the place of Jews in America right now. Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Food, Gaza, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jewish Education, Justice, Peace, Synagogue, Tikkun Olam, Tzedakah, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth