Rabbi

August 18, 2022

Your Unorthodox Theology Won’t Break Judaism

My D’var Torah from July 30, 2022 * 2 Av 5782 One of my favorite anecdotes about morning davvening (praying) comes from the Babylonian Talmud. Rabbi Chanina went to shul one day. This was some 1700 years ago, give or take, and at the time there were no siddurim (written prayerbooks). People who led knew the… Continue reading

Calendar, Elul, High Holidays, Holidays, Jewish Education, Prayer, Rabbi, Revelation, Rosh Hashanah, Spirituality, Synagogue, Theology, Tisha B’Av, Torah, Yamim Noraim
March 17, 2022

The Power of Purim (Reflecting Just in the Moment)

The power of Purim: On Tuesday and yesterday, I spent several hours in total shopping for and making my do-it-yourself costume. There was the regular work I do, which I did; and the world to attend to with its craziness, which I check in on regularly. And I learned of a sudden death in… Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Esther, Ethics, Holidays, Purim, Rabbi
February 1, 2022

Na’aseh V’Nishma Meets Yes-And

This was my D'var Torah on Shabbat morning, Saturday, January 29, on Parashat Mishpatim. When I was trying to decide whether to apply to rabbinical school, as a senior in college, I gave myself an ultimatum: I would not apply until I was putting on tefillin every day. Tefilllin are basically mezuzas but for the… Continue reading

Education, Freedom, Holidays, Jewish Education, Midrash, Mishpatim, Parashat Hashavua, Patience, Prayer, Rabbi, Shabbat, Spirituality, Study, Synagogue, Tefillin, Temple Beth Abraham, Theology
January 13, 2021

A New Page — USA

I just finished the first version of a new page on my site, which I'm calling simply "USA". It has sources and mostly my own reflections about American politics, racial justice, anti-Semitism, and political leadership. I will be updating it with the best links I want people to know about, and anything good I generate… Continue reading

Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, Freedom, Hope, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Peace, Rabbi, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA
June 2, 2020

Post 3 After George Floyd’s Killing

Post #3 – okay, more snide and angry, and still not the heart of the matter. If we set the presidential bar at cynical, even I could do a better job than President Trump did last night: 1. Call George Floyd’s killing murder. Sure, that might make it impossible for there to be a fair… Continue reading

Community Relations, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Election, Freedom, Inclusion, Justice, Leadership, Rabbi, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA
June 2, 2020

Post 1 (of several to come) After George Floyd’s Killing

Post 1 today after George Floyd's killing. This one isn't the main point. More to come. I was thinking about the president’s posing with a Bible last night after his speech, as I said my brief morning prayers while wearing tefillin. Tefillin are leather boxes with little scrolls from the Torah inside them, attached to… Continue reading

Community Relations, Current Affairs, Interfaith Dialogue, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Prayer, Rabbi, Spirituality, Tefillin, Theology, Torah, Tzedek, USA
May 18, 2020

Celebrating 25 Years Since Ordination

25 years ago today we received our degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and became rabbis and cantors for the Jewish people. Some reminiscences and reflections, I am sure I will have more, maybe a sermon this Saturday… The best part of the week was that Laurie also got her MBA from Columbia.… Continue reading

Conservative Judaism, Jewish Education, Leadership, Rabbi, Study, Teacher-Student Relationship, Torah
March 10, 2019

The Megillah, Rep. Omar, and Where We Go From Here

This post is based on the D'var Torah I gave at services on Saturday, March 9, 2019. I also plan another post with some thoughtful articles on the topic from other sources. I always set out extra books for services in addition to the Siddurim (prayerbooks), on the cart outside the Sanctuary and in the… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Esther, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Peace, Pekudei, Purim, Rabbi, Temple Beth Abraham, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA
November 4, 2018

After Pittsburgh: A Narrower Bridge, A Net Like Never Before

Here is my D'var Torah from Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, the Shabbat after the killings at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. You can read it or download it as a pdf file here. It is so good to be here together this morning. I know that it is a great comfort to our friends,… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Holocaust, Immigration, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, Peace, Rabbi, Shabbat, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Yom Hashoah
August 10, 2018

The Elul Love Your Neighbor Study Challenge

Dear Friends: This Shabbat is the first day of Rosh Chodesh Elul, the new moon marking one month before Rosh Hashanah. I want to invite all of you into a challenge with me: the Elul Love Your Neighbor Study Challenge. Part of the process of teshuvah (returning, redirecting ourselves) is studying what the Torah says about relationships between people and… Continue reading

Calendar, Current Affairs, Elul, Ethics, High Holidays, Holidays, Justice, Kedoshim, Middot, Rabbi, Rosh Hashanah, Soul, Study, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Tzedakah, Tzedek, USA, Yamim Noraim, Yom Kippur
May 11, 2017

Forward This to Your Rabbi or Pastor

There are a lot of important things happening in the real world this week. Still, you should forward the following to whoever delivers sermons in your place of worship, whatever their title and whatever scripture they preach about. It's a scene from the West Wing TV show, and it's a withering critique of sermons. I… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Prayer, Rabbi, Shabbat, Spirituality, Study, Television, USA
December 1, 2016

Torah Reflection on Truth and Peace as of Right after Thanksgiving

I just wanted to get on record some reflections on what it's like as a rabbi and leader right now, a snapshot in time. I have spoken previously about the prophetic verse Ha-emet v'ha-shalom ehavu – "Love truth and peace." In the Talmud, the verse is quoted in the course of an exploration of a debate between… Continue reading

Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, Ethics, Freedom, Inclusion, Islam, Leadership, Parashat Hashavua, Rabbi, Thanksgiving, Tikkun Olam, Toldot, Tzedek, USA