I imagine many of you are feeling a lot of emotions right now. Sadness, anger, fear, comfort, faith, hope… I pray that we all continue to feel, and that we have the strength to share our pain with our fellow congregants who surround us now. I imagine many of you...
As we sang at the Interfaith Vigil on Sunday night, Rabbi Emeritus and past Pittsburgh rabbi Alan Fuchs asks “If not now, tell me when,” in this reflection– Rabbi Maderer This past week should be a wake-up call for all of us. It is clear, beyond a shadow of a...
“Naamah’s Voice”: Cantor Erin Frankel’s sermon from Friday, October 12 I went to the movies recently. I went to see A Star is Born, because I felt an overwhelming compulsion to see it. I last saw a movie, two actually, over the summer, while my children were at overnight camp...
And on the 6th day… “God created mankind in God’s own image, in the image of God (B’tzelem Elohim) God created them; male and female God created them.” (Gen 1:27)
Rabbi Eli Freedman: Yom Kippur Morning Sermon This past spring, we had the unique opportunity to host Anat Hoffman, a civil rights pioneer in Israel. Through her organizations, Women of the Wall and the Israeli Religious Action Center, Hoffman works to protect the rights of women, Reform Jews, Arabs and...
Delivered by Rabbi Maderer Rosh Hashanah morning Some of you may have known one of Rodeph Shalom’s oldest, long-time members, Floss Feder, of blessed memory. In my last visit with Floss, who this spring died at the age of 103 ½ , I shared with her our plans to celebrate...
Delivered by Rabbi Jill Maderer, Kol Nidre Avinu Malkenu: We have strayed and sinned before you. Anachnu chatanu/ We have done wrong. Al chet shechatanu lifanecha– For our sins, our God, v’al kulam-for all of these, kaper lanu-lead us to atonement. This High Holy Day season is the first time...
Sermon given on Sunday, September 9 by Rabbi Eli Freedman HaYom Harat Olam; today is the birthday of the world. Tonight, Erev Rosh Hashanah, we begin the New Year of 5779. And tomorrow morning, in the words of the song we just sang: Let the sun rise, On a new...
I was on the phone with a friend last week after an especially long day watching Josephine and our new addition, Nora, all by myself. My friend asked, “So how was babysitting today?” “I was not babysitting,” I said, keeping my voice as gentle as possible to correct them. “When...
Earlier this summer, some high profile suicide deaths tragically reminded many of us of the critical, life-saving importance of mental health and mental health resources for this public health issue. This was the week the Jewish community read in the Torah from Parashat Shelach Lecha. The story in the Book...
