Sermons

Michael Jordan, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, famously did not make the varsity basketball team as a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The coach of the team at the time, Clifton “Pop” Herring attributed Jordan’s omission from the team to his height. Michael Jordan was only […]

I would like to share with you tonight the words of Elana Kaminka, an Israeli woman who lost her son on October 7th, just weeks before what would have been his 21st Birthday: “I lost my firstborn son. When something like that happens, you realize nothing else is important. My son’s name was Yannai Kaminka. […]

As we celebrate Pesach, we find ourselves at a time in our history that can be seen as frightening, isolative, and odd. We either read the news, or experience directly (or both), the situation that seems to be consistently unfolding in our dear Israel. We see turmoil on our University campuses. We are still directly […]

I would like to share with you a Hasidic Tale: There was once a man in the town of Pinsk who was known for his tendency to gossip. One day he learned a strange, but true, fact about a local merchant. Not able to contain his newfound knowledge, he shared it with a few people […]

I would have liked to really begin with a Jewish Kosher Deli Joke, but I have been told I should avoid it, having such a rye sense of humor. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa is said to have taught that: “Before a person eats and drinks, them [being distraught] has two hearts. After a person eats […]

This past week we read Parsha Tzav, or “Commanded.” We are brought through, from the perspective of the duties of the Kohanim, the myriad animal sacrifices that are to be brought to the Holy Temple. We are also re-introduced to the priestly vestments. There is one aspect of this week’s Torah portion that I would […]

This week is a big weekend for Jewish texts! This evening we read from the first book of Leviticus, or Vaykira. A theme that we can home in on this weekend is brought to the forefront in both the Book of Leviticus and tomorrow’s focus, Megillat Esther. Sacrifice. What does it mean to sacrifice for […]

While living in Boston as a very young Conservatory student, part of my daily routine was crossing busy Massachusetts Avenue on the way to the CAF, or the Dining Cafe, if you will. Throughout my entire tenure in Boston, I would pass the same man every day. He was always sitting in an identical spot […]

In our society, we are currently facing a labor shortage when it comes to skilled trades. The downturn in skilled tradespeople has been trending for quite a while, but this is certainly an issue that is still absolutely worth discussing. In a world that is so digital, and can sometimes feel hands-off, we still need […]

Parshah Ki Tisa contains what I would consider a textbook description of mass hysteria and panic. Moses ascended Mount Sinai and “…delayed to come down from the mount” (Exodus 32:1) while he was receiving the commandments. The Rabbis have often claimed that Moses told the people of Israel that he would be back from Mount […]