Theology

October 23, 2025

The Baal Shem Tov: The Ark as a Metaphor for a Word of Prayer

I taught this for Parashat Noach in 5781 (2020), sometime after accidentally stumbling into this teaching in a book of the Baal Shem Tov’s comments about the Torah. In the section on Noach, he inserts a long treatise on prayer. I want to share a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov about tefillah, about prayer,… Continue reading

Noach, Noah, Parashat Hashavua, Prayer, Spirituality, Theology, Torah
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
October 1, 2022

My Rosh Hashanah Sermons From Last Week

Here are my sermons from Rosh Hashanah 5783: First day:Help Me Talk About What I've Been Through and Who I Am Second day:Right-ology: How to Be Right Better in the New Year Wishing everyone a Shana Tova Umetukah, a good and sweet new year! Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Election, Elul, Ethics, Gratitude, Hakarat Hatov, High Holidays, Holidays, Hope, Middot, Midrash, Prayer, Rosh Hashanah, Soul, Speech Ethics, Spirituality, Synagogue, Talmud, Teacher-Student Relationship, Television, Teshuvah, Theology, Torah, Tov! Podcast, USA, Yamim Noraim
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
June 23, 2022

The Supreme Court This Term, Religion and Abortion

This isn’t the absolute center of the issue around abortion and the Supreme Court. But the issues in this article in Slate are important, particularly as the Court has ruled also this week in the Maine school case and potentially will soon rule in the high school coach prayer case. The headline is both spot… Continue reading

Bioethics, Community Relations, Conservative Judaism, Current Affairs, End of Life, Equality, Ethics, Feminism, Freedom, History, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, LGBTQ+, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA
March 27, 2022

Tov! Chapters 16-17: Is It Just Me or Is the Divine Evolving Too?

Back with another episode of Tov! Had the usual blast recording, this time with my colleague and old friend Daniel Kirzane. If you're liking the podcast please tell other people about it, or subscribe on one of the podcast apps and give a great rating! Thanks! Continue reading

Ethics, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Tov! Podcast
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
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
January 28, 2021

Remembering Debbie Friedman on Her 10th Yahrzeit

I gave this D'var Torah on Saturday morning, January 23, on the Shabbat before Debbie Friedman's 10th yahrzeit. On a Sunday night in early January 25 years ago, Laurie and I were living in Queens and there was a big Nor’easter brewing. Some of you may remember, it came all the way up here –… Continue reading

Education, Feminism, Holidays, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Music, Prayer, Soul, Spirituality, Study, Synagogue, Theology, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
January 13, 2021

Rolling Waters, Mighty Stream — Exploring MLK’s Metaphor

This was my opening invocation for the annual Southern NH Outreach for Black Unity Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast on January 21, 2019. I am so honored to be invited to join you for some opening words today. My name is Jon Spira-Savett, and I serve as rabbi for the Jewish community in… Continue reading

Calendar, Community Relations, Conservative Judaism, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Prophets, Shoftim, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA
July 29, 2020

Your Two Personal Assistants Toward the High Holy Days

This year I updated my usual re-post about Moshe and Yeshayahu, your "two personal spiritual assistants", and published it at the Times of Israel: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/your-two-personal-spiritual-assistants-toward-the-new-year/ Continue reading

Calendar, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Devarim, Elul, Foregiveness, High Holidays, Holidays, Patience, Rosh Hashanah, Soul, Spirituality, Teshuvah, Theology, Torah, Yom Kippur