We come together during Hanukkah to remember that we can share light and tell stories of hope. And this December we are lighting sparks in many ways.
Rabbi's Message: The Environment
After I graduated from college, I went to Washington DC to do environmental advocacy, first on behalf of the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, and then for the Sierra Club. For three years, I taught kids, congregations, and members of Congress about how we could be better stewards of the Earth. When I'm asked why I left Washington to go to rabbinical school, I sometimes joke that it was when I realized I couldn't save the world that I decided to become a rabbi.
Rabbi's Sermon Yom Kippur: Hearing the Other Side
When I was 13 years old, I tried to get my congregational rabbi fired. I convened a task force of fellow 13 year olds and our parents, and explained how the rabbi was needlessly provocative—he would upset people with his controversial sermons and worse, during my Bat Mitzvah class with him, he would constantly tell me I was wrong. Continue reading...
Rabbi's Sermon Rosh Hashanah Day 2: Who Do We Think We Are?
On August 20th, a woman left an anonymous message on the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue’s answering machine. She complained at length, and in no uncertain terms, about our choice to move the high holiday venue. Continue reading...
Rabbi's Sermon Rosh Hashanah Day 1: Our Memories
Thank you Aramis for that warm introduction. I am grateful to you for being my teacher, and for the privilege of calling you my friend. And thank you, and your congregation, for hosting us in this home of the Bethel Community Transformation Center, this home of Breakers Covenant Church International, this Beth El, house of God, that is truly a house of prayer for all peoples. Isaiah’s prophetic vision is etched on this building, and you have brought it to life. Continue reading...