The Clenched Fist or Guiding Hand of Self Judgment
by Rabbi Jill Maderer (Yom Kippur sermon delivered 9/28/09) Picture an old, bearded rabbi, sitting at the entrance to a Jewish cemetery on Long Island. In Tony Kushner’s play, Angels […]
Apology: The Time is Now
by Rabbi Jill Maderer (Kol Nidre sermon delivered 9/27/09) “This evening I let my emotions get the best of me,” Congressman Joe Wilson said in a statement to the press. […]
It’s In Your Hands: Ethical Speech Online
By Rabbi Jill Maderer (Rosh Hashanah sermon delivered 9/19/09) “What’s on your mind?” asks Facebook. “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world,” invites Twitter. “Broadcast yourself,” challenges Youtube. […]
The Fruits of Rosh Hashanah
By Rabbi Jill Maderer L’shanah tovah umetukah. We wish each other a good and sweet new year. Typically, we celebrate our hope for a sweet new year by eating apples […]
In Memoriam: Doris Garrett
Mention the name Doris Garrett to any Rodeph Shalom long-time congregant and you will get the same reaction as that expressed by Ivan Gable upon hearing of her death on […]
High Holy Day Obligations
By Rabbi William Kuhn Apples and honey are perfect symbols for the beginning of the Jewish New Year, because the sweetness of the apples is intensified by the honey taste […]
Returning to the “Empty Nest” after College Drop-off
Rabbi Michael G. Holzman As I drove into the synagogue today, following my usual route down Broad Street, I entered the annual traffic jam called Temple University Drop Off. What […]
Welcoming You to the High Holy Days
Rabbi Jill L. Maderer At last night’s “Taste of the New Year,” Philadelphia’s wine-tasting and synagogue-matching program for young adults, I met many people who are seeking a congregation. If […]
Fasting for Darfur
On my door I have a "Stop the Genocide" sticker. It's been there for over three years now, and the war in Darfur drags on. So why am I fasting on what seems like a random day in August 2009 for this cause? Why not let it simmer on the...
Revelation in an Age of Self-Revelation
by Rabbi Jill Maderer How much do you want to reveal? How much do you want to know? A current debate about social networking gets to the heart about […]