Rabbi Emeritus Alan Fuchs Yizkor Sermon 5784
Sixty nine years ago, in 1954, I was elected by my high school class to give the address for the class at our graduation ceremony. That was a mere nine […]
Rabbi Freedman Yom Kippur Sermon: Judging Others
A story from the Talmud (Shabbat 127b): There once was a worker who had just completed a very large project for a certain homeowner. On the eve of Yom Kippur, […]
Rabbi Maderer Kol Nidre Sermon: Holding onto Torah as We Greet Each Wave of the Future
In the Talmud – the text of our ancient sages’ interpretation of Torah—Rabbi Gamliel tells a story: “Picture it. I am traveling on a ship. In stormy waters, from a […]
Rabbi Maderer Rosh Hashanah: Because We Are Not AI; We Are Human: Together Make Shabbat Holy and Call it a Joy.
In an email, from me to Rabbi Freedman: “Hi Eli – Can you roll the Torah scroll to the correct spot for tomorrow? Thanks—Jill” In an email response, from Rabbi […]
Rabbi Eli Freedman Erev Rosh Hashanah: “Ein Li Eretz Acheret/I Have No Other Land: Israel Today.”
Ein Li Eretz Acheret/I Have No Other Country. These words were emblazoned on the side of a building as we drove up the Ayalon Freeway in Tel Aviv on our […]
“Broad Perspectives:” A New Jewish Speaker Series Guides the Conversation about Community Connection in Our City
Can a university and a synagogue heal the division in our city, our country, and our world? Certainly not alone. But we’re hoping a new speaker series will be a move […]
Follow the Magan David by Dr. Bettyruth Walter
It was Saturday evening in Tel Aviv. I was sitting on my meerpeset (terrace) overlooking Ben Zion Boulevard, watching the comings and goings of walkers and bikers. I slowly realized […]
“Zionism is a Verb”: Rabbi Eli Freedman Sermon 1/20/2023
The most misquoted verse in the entire Torah appears in this week’s portion. “Let My people go!” Maybe it’s because of Charleton Heston, but when we think of Moses approaching […]
“A Place Where We Are Seen” – Rabbi Maderer’s Kol Nidre Sermon 5783
This summer, when Philadelphia welcomed the Dear Evan Hansen tour, I was struck by the enduring human question the musical poses: How can we feel understood? The show, about a […]
“White Christian Nationalism and Civic Engagement”: Rabbi Freedman’s Yom Kippur Sermon 5783
A few years ago we took our Rodeph Shalom teens to Israel over winter break. One sunny Monday morning, as we were touring the Galilee, we saw people going about […]