Sermons

Re-writing and Writing a Torah of Inclusivity
When I scout out the Torah portion for the week, I must admit that I quietly profess faith that the Parashah will render unto me some deeper insight that meets the moment.

Death, Life and Rebirth: The Genius of Leviticus
Contrary to popular opinion, I’m rather a fan of the Torah’s bête noire middle child.

Fueling the Fire
I was in my early twenties and visiting a friend in Groningen, a quaint historic city in the northernmost reaches of the Netherlands.

Listen Up– It’s Passover
This d’var for Shabbat HaGadol is by Peter Rubenstein. Today is Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Sabbath, the Shabbat before the beginning of Passover. This is the sentence with which I started my Bar Mitzvah speech in 1959. Upon reflecting on this particular day over the past 60+ years, I have been impressed with how important […]

Judaism and The Year of the Plague
Remembering the one year anniversary, or perhaps better put, the ‘yahrtzeit’ of the pandemic calls for solemn reflection.

A People Fearful and Vulnerable
The images are such stark ones that they have become a staple of our culture. The Golden Calf, the shattered tablets, a people oscillating between orgies of elation and crises of despair.

A New Pharaoh
He doesn’t quite remember how he made it back. His white linen tunic was sullied and torn, his headdress had been lost in the chaos.

Against Tyrannies, Great and Small
We feel the weight of this moment and the long shadow it casts over our hearts.

D’var for Sh’mot by Linda Kerber
Everyone, I conclude, should have their own Parsha – one which speaks directly to them.
On the Cusp of History
The personal dramas of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs have always played out on the stage of historical change and in this sense, their lives are no different from our own.