By Carl W. Schneider* God’s first words to Abram (whose name had not yet changed to Abraham) in their initial communication were “Go forth…to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation.” (Gen 12:1-3) God never identified himself as a deity, as He...
Rabbi Jill Maderer wrote this article for the December Bulletin. I can picture, as a young child, sitting at my family’s Shabbat table on an evening when our Rabbi was there as our guest. I remember he and my parents were engaged in a conversation about the importance of the...
Rabbi Jill Maderer wrote this article for the November RS Bulletin. I recently had the joy of co-leading a discussion in our 6th grade, along with Rabbi Freedman, during Berkman Mercaz Limud. Our topic was theology and the students raised a common question: is God good? I was struck by...
Rabbi Eli Freedman delivered this sermon during the Yom Kippur morning services. According to the Torah, who were the first Jews? I heard some Adam and Eves, I heard some Abraham and Sarahs, I think I heard someone say “my grandmother!” The correct answer is Abraham and Sarah, but it...
Delivered by Rabbi Jill Maderer, Kol Nidre 5780 Simon Wiesenthal, the Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter, would tell this story. Shortly after Wiesenthal is liberated, a man asks if he can borrow $10. Week after week, the man comes to say he cannot pay it back. Excuse after excuse. Weeks...
Erev Rosh Hashanahsermon delivered by Rabbi Eli Freedman In his new Netflix movie, Between Two Ferns, Zach Galifianakis asks Paul Rudd if he is a ‘practicing Jew.’ Without missing a beat, Rudd responds, “I’m not a practicing Jew… I perfected it!” Funny, but not true. None of us have perfected...
Delivered by Rabbi Jill Maderer, Rosh Hashanah morning. Why are we here? Why are we here as individuals and as a community? Generations ago, one of our prophets, Elijah, is called to answer that question. Immersed in a spiritual quest, and frightened by a broken world, Elijah crawls into a...
We all know the old expression, “Two Jews, three opinions!” A cute, funny line, but rooted in a fundamental philosophy that is paramount to our tradition. From our very beginnings, Judaism has been a religion that encourages dialogue and debates l’shem shamayim(for the sake of heaven).Jacob wrestled with a divine...
Rabbi Eli Freedman’s sermon from Friday, September 6 Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof– Justice, Justice, You Shall Pursue. This week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, literally meaning “judges” is filled with talk of justice. Justice in our judicial system. We read in our Torah, “You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality;...
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