What Does it Mean to be Free?
Tomorrow, we celebrate America’s independence; our freedom. Whereas July 4 is by no means a Jewish holiday, its themes of independence and freedom are central to Judaism.
Tag: Holiday · 24 sermons
After Death Comes Life
There are some people that know the Torah memorized. These individuals know where each verse begins and ends, and are aware of each and every trope. But even these individuals read the Torah portion every week, even…
Yom HaShoah 2020
It’s interesting to me that in the past month, we celebrated Passover, Christians celebrated Easter, and right now, Muslims across the world are celebrating Ramadan.
We Lost More Than the Temple (Tisha B'av)
This weekend, Bend the Arc, The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), our own Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center (RAC) and others are joining together with Jewish communities across the country to demand an…
The (Future) Memory of Israel (Yom HaZikaron)
I’ve been thinking about memory a lot lately. Two pop culture juggernauts have recently used the concept of memory in thoughtful ways that are appropriate on this Shabbat. Before I get started, I promise that I’m not…
We Do It Because We Are Jewish (Yom HaShoah)
This year's commemoration of Yom Hashoah feels different. We are still reeling from the murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye. Just as Pesach ended, celebrating the themes of freedom and redemption, a white supremecist went into…
Have We Abandoned God? (Yom HaShoah)
In 1979, Elie Weisel wrote The Trial of God. Written as a play, it takes place in a Ukranian village in the year 1649 following an awful pogram that left only two survivors in the town. A group of actors come to the…
What Has God Done for Me Lately? (Passover)
This Shabbat is called Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach, as it is the Shabbat placed between the first and last days of Passover. On this specific Shabbat, we deviate from our forward progression through Leviticus as we go…
Never Again (International Holocaust Remembrance Day)
In the last three months, I have been on a steering committee with eight other local clergy members. We have created the Greater Athens Interfaith Clergy Partnership. On Sunday afternoon, we will have our first…
What Is the Real Miracle of Chanukah?
How do you explain the miracle of Chanukah to non-Jews? A popular Facebook suggests one to imagine that their cell phone battery is at 10%, but yet it lasts for eight days. That's the miracle of Chanukah!
Because I Remember, I Must Reject Despair (Yom HaShoah Sermon)
Earlier this week, on Monday morning, fifty Jews became B'nei Mitzvah. As Natalie Ripps knows, any Bar or Bat Mitzvah is an extraordinary celebration of Jewish life, commitment and continuity. But this celebrationion was…
Chinese Food, a Movie, Jews & Christmas
When I turned 14, I was excited to get my first job at Publix. I bagged groceries until just after my 18th birthday. For the most part, I enjoyed interacting with people on the short walk to their cars. But around…
Three Lessons of Sukkot
Shabbat Shalom. This Shabbat is a special one that takes place during the intermediary days of Sukkot, Shabbat Chol Ha-Moed Pesach. Our holiday of Sukkot ends with the celebration of Simchat Torah, which we will…
What Is the Right Way to Spell Hannukah?
So how do you spell Hannukah? There actually is a correct way: Chet, nun, vav, kaf, hey. But in English, there's disagreement. Some prefer to spell it phonetically, starting it with a "ch." Some, like myself, like the…
Still Enslaved, Even During Passover: Reflections on Hate
Soon after the Exodus from Egypt, God teaches us: You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Who Moved My Matzah? (Shabbat HaGadol)
(tell story about everyone bowing in synagogue … ) We do things that we're used to. We have a “usual” drink at the coffee shop, we sit in the same seat at meetings and conferences ... we tend to go to bed around the same…
Remembering to Forget (Shabbat Zachor)
Judaism has lots of interesting, unique, perhaps even esoteric rituals. But the most interesting that I've learned revolves involves a sofer, a Torah scribe. The ritual involves Amalek, an awful enemy of the Jewish…
75th Commemoration of Kristallnacht (Vayetzei)
This morning, many of my colleagues and friends were commenting on an article in the New York Times. It was the front page of the New York Regional section. It begins with an upsetting headline: Swastikas, Slurs and…
Is Halloween Traif or Treat?
How many people here love Halloween? I do. As a kid, my mom and I would carve pumpkins and then make pumpkin seeds with lots of salt on them. I love putting together elaborate Halloween costumes and then parading around…
The Little Prince and the Torah (Shavuot)
My favorite book is The Little Prince. I've probably read this delightful book dozens of times. In high school, I was inspired to take French so that I'd be able to read it in its original. I wasn't that successful, as…
Remembering One Life, Remembering 6 Million (Yom HaShoah)
In the movie Grand Canyon, Steve Martin's character says, All of life's riddles are answered in the movies! This quote came to mind when I learned that Roger Ebert passed away.
Counting the Omer: Measuring Time, Measuring Ourselves
Jews have always measured time. The Mishnah informs us that we do not have just one New Year - the one we celebrate on Rosh Hashanah. Judaism actually has four different new year celebrations. There's Tu'bisvat, the new…
Daniel's Bar Mitzvah Video: Too Much? Not Enough? (Shabbat Zachor)
Shabbat Shalom. Earlier this morning, I sent all you a link to a video on YouTube. As of this afternoon, over 243,000 people have watched an Atlanta kid rap about the Braves, keeping kosher, musing about the Torah and…
Put Gratitude in That Attitude (Thanksgiving)
Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech haolam, shehechiyanu, vkiyimanu, vhigiyanu, lazman hazeh. Praised be You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and permitted us to reach this…