If you leave off the animals, the flood, the rainbow and any other specific details of the story of Noah, what you are left with is an immigration tale. Displaced by violence and an ecological disaster, our Biblical protagonist sets…
Torah Thoughts – Bereishit – Genesis.1.1-6.8 – “Welcome Home!”
As frustrating it is to start back at the beginning, it can be liberating as well. Reading the first lines of Genesis again is an opportunity to find new interpretations and new meanings. While the Torah is the same, we…
Torah Thoughts – Ha’azinu – Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52 – “One Final Poem”
As always, on Ha’azinu, Moses’ last poem to the People of Israel, I share a poem. This one is taken from a Jewish Italian poet named Umberto Saba (1883-1857). He converted to Judaism as a young man, and then, refused…
Yom Kippur Morning Sermon 2025 – 5786
Kol Nidre Sermon 2025 – 5786
High Holy Days Sermons 2025 – 5786
Erev Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah Morning Kol Nidre Yom Kippur Morning
Rosh Hashanah Morning 2025/5786 Sermon
“You Are All Here to Listen to a Frog” Perhaps the strangest commencement speeches of all time began with a few opening remarks given in a high pitched, awkward stutter, followed by the words: “You are all here to listen…
Erev Rosh Hashanah 2025/5786 Sermon
“Our Lucky Thirteenth” I don’t know if you are aware of this, but Jews tend to be very superstitious people. When we hear good news we say, “Keinahora,” a conjunction of three Yiddish words said fast – “Kain” “Ayin”…
Torah Thoughts – Vayeilech – Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30 – “You Are All Here to Listen to a Frog”
Perhaps the strangest commencement speeches of all time began with a few opening remarks given in a high-pitched awkward stutter, followed by the words: “You are all here to listen to a frog.” By frog, he was referring to perhaps…
Torah Thoughts – Nitzavim – Deuteronomy.29.9-30.20 – “We’re Still Standing”
In the chorus to the hit 1983 song “I’m Still Standing,” Elton John triumphantly announces to the world: “Don’t you know, I’m still standin’ better than I ever did?/ Lookin’ like a true survivor, feelin’ like a little kid/And I’m…