Young Jewish Adult

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

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
September 7, 2026

Looking Up (Rosh Hashanah 5780/2019)

This was one of my Divrei Torah for Rosh Hashanah in 2019 (5780). When I was 22 years old, a man looked up at me, and changed my life. This was connected to the thing that I thought was going to change my life that year, which was a Wexner Graduate Fellowship to go to… Continue reading

Calendar, Equality, Gratitude, Hakarat Hatov, High Holidays, Holidays, Leadership, Power, Rosh Hashanah, Teacher-Student Relationship, Torah, Young Jewish Adult
September 3, 2026

What I’ve Learned (So Far) About Teshuvah From “The Good Place”

This is what I said in an episode I recorded for our podcast Tov! about the TV show “The Good Place” and Jewish ideas, just before Rosh Hashanah in 2023. You can listen to this specific episode on the Tov! website here or on YouTube here. Or find Tov! on any favorite podcast app. Hey!… Continue reading

Calendar, Ethics, High Holidays, Holidays, Jewish Education, Maimonides, Middot, Rosh Hashanah, Teshuvah, Torah, Tov! Podcast, Yom Kippur, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
August 18, 2026

Being Here in the Digital Age (Rosh Hashanah 5774/2013)

This was my Dvar Torah for the first day of Rosh Hashanah in 2013. Though some of the specific examples are dated in 2026, it stands up even in the age of Instagram and AI. Over the past couple of years, I have developed a nagging but interesting physical issue. It’s a tingling sensation I… Continue reading

Calendar, Current Affairs, Ethics, Friendship, High Holidays, Holidays, Love, Middot, Rosh Hashanah, Science, Social Theory, Technology, Teens, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
July 2, 2026

Partners, Not Guests: Jews Building America, America Building Us (Yom Kippur 5780/2019)

This was my Yom Kippur morning sermon for 5780 (2019). As I generally do, I was jumping off from the spirit of the Haftarah of that day, which is mostly from Isaiah 58, and I conclude quoting the end of those prophetic words. One evening last fall I sat in the auditorium at Nashua High… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Equality, Freedom, High Holidays, Holidays, Holocaust, Inclusion, Terrorism, Tzedek, USA, Yamim Noraim, Yom Kippur, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
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
May 29, 2026

How to Bless With Our Most Ancient Blessing (Parashat Naso 5786)

This is the draft of my D’var Torah for May 30, 2026, Parashat Naso. We are celebrating the arrival of a newborn so that’s both a good occasion for talking about this particular text, and referenced in my words. I want to start with a story that is in the top five of stories I… Continue reading

Blessing, History, Jerusalem, Naso, Parashat Hashavua, Parenting, Speech Ethics, Spirituality, Teens, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth

Parenting
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

Sterling Bans Silver For Life (Parashat Emor 5774)

This is the D’var Torah I gave for Parashat Emor in 2014/5774. How is this for a news headline from the week: “Silver Bans Sterling for Life.” That’s from NBA.com, the official website of professional basketball. Usually, “sterling” is the most refined kind of silver, but this week it’s been the opposite. Sterling is Donald… Continue reading

Civil Rights, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Emor, Ethics, History, Inclusion, Leadership, Parashat Hashavua, Torah, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth

Sports
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