Theology, Technology and a bit of Musichttps://geekyrabbi.com/https://geekyrabbi.com/2022-yom-kippur-morning-its-about-time/https://geekyrabbi.com/2022-yom-kippur-morning-its-about-time/My two-and-a-half year old son, Aaron, has a new morning routine. Upon waking up, he excitedly opens his bedroom curtains and exclaims, It's daytime! Aside from being utterly adorable, his announcement is also very Jewish. Every morning upon waking up, Jews recite a prayer thanking God for the ability to distinguish between night and day.Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/2022-yom-kippur-evening-regret-is-holy/https://geekyrabbi.com/2022-yom-kippur-evening-regret-is-holy/Ashikaga Yoshimasa was a shogun, living in the 15th century. One of his favorite possessions was a Chinese tea bowl. A story suggests that he accidentally dropped it on the floor, and immediately It shattered into many broken pieces. He was beside himself. Distraught, the shogun picked up the shards and sent them to China for repairs. But even after many attempts, it could not be repaired. He then…Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/2022-rosh-hashanah-morning/https://geekyrabbi.com/2022-rosh-hashanah-morning/This is a story about a town not too different than ours. Its citizens were generally friendly, good, menschy people, but over the past few years, their demeanor changed. No one knows the exact cause: It could be the beginning of a pandemic that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Political discord and separation was at an all time high. Climate change was really noticable ... Anyway, people were on…Mon, 26 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/2022-rosh-hashanah-evening-it-is-good/https://geekyrabbi.com/2022-rosh-hashanah-evening-it-is-good/1968 was a difficult year. Racial discord and foreign conflicts created an atmosphere of tension and anger. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were both assassinated. The United States was embroiled in the war in North Vietnam. The Cold War continued to escalate. There were student protests taking place throughout America, some resulting in violence. The zeitgeist of the country was one of…Sun, 25 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/a-new-life-during-2-minutes-of-silence/https://geekyrabbi.com/a-new-life-during-2-minutes-of-silence/The commemoration of Yom HaShoah in Israel is an incredibly powerful thing. At 10:00 AM, sirens go off across the entire country, and everything comes to a standstill. Teachers stop teaching, people stop working. Cars on roads and expressways stop, and drivers get out of their cars.Fri, 29 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionSermonhttps://geekyrabbi.com/what-whoopi-goldberg-can-teach-an-athens-ga-elementary-school/https://geekyrabbi.com/what-whoopi-goldberg-can-teach-an-athens-ga-elementary-school/In early January, the school board of McMinn County, Tennessee voted to ban Maus. This book is a graphic novel that appropriately and powerfully teaches about the Holocaust to children (and adults). Earlier this week during The View, Whoopi Goldberg and her co-hosts talked about this, and Goldberg caused such a stir that she then became the news story. She claimed that the Holocaust was not about…Sat, 05 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionJusticeSermonhttps://geekyrabbi.com/response-to-capital-riot-truth-shall-sprout-from-the-earth/https://geekyrabbi.com/response-to-capital-riot-truth-shall-sprout-from-the-earth/During the process of creation, a midrash suggests that God consulted with the angels in order to determine whether or not to create human beings. Each angel argues their case: The angel of Lovingkindness says yes, let them be created, because they will do acts of love. The angel of Truth says, no, don't create human beings, because they will lie. Justice argues yes, because people will performs…Sat, 09 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionSermonhttps://geekyrabbi.com/it-remains-a-dream-ki-teitzi/https://geekyrabbi.com/it-remains-a-dream-ki-teitzi/Fifty seven years ago today, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at theLincoln Memorial, and delivered a speech that is indelibly woven into our ideals and our hopes. But unfortunately, it still remains a dream. Part of the problem is that there is s a big disparity between what we say we believe about our society, and the actions we take. We say that America is the land of the free. And yet, James…Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-free/https://geekyrabbi.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-free/Tomorrow, we celebrate America’s independence; our freedom. Whereas July 4 is by no means a Jewish holiday, its themes of independence and freedom are central to Judaism. The first time we are called Israelites is by the enslaving Pharoah. And so, our identity stems from the fact that we were slaves and then we became free.Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHolidayJusticeTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/count-each-person-each-person-counts/https://geekyrabbi.com/count-each-person-each-person-counts/This week's Torah portion is a continuation of the first census. At the beginning of the book of Numbers, God says, Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head.Fri, 29 May 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and Religionhttps://geekyrabbi.com/in-the-summer/https://geekyrabbi.com/in-the-summer/Camp sermon corona In the summer of 1992, I had just graduated High School. I was excited to start college as a music student at Florida State University (I transferred to UF after one year), but I was pretty nervous about living in the dorms. I knew about Camp Coleman because my cousin and some good friends went every summer, and I thought to myself that going there for a summer as a counselor…Mon, 11 May 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and Religionhttps://geekyrabbi.com/after-death-comes-life/https://geekyrabbi.com/after-death-comes-life/There are some people that know the Torah memorized. These individuals know where each verse begins and ends, and are aware of each and every trope. But even these individuals read the Torah portion every week, even though they know it completely; chapter and verse so to speak …Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHolidaySermonhttps://geekyrabbi.com/its-interesting/https://geekyrabbi.com/its-interesting/It’s interesting to me that in the past month, we celebrated Passover, Christians celebrated Easter, and right now, Muslims across the world are celebrating Ramadan. This reminds me of just how important faith is, regardless of religion. During these recent weeks of social distancing and uncertainty, I think that we have turned to our religion even more.Tue, 21 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionJusticeSermonHolidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/what-day-is-today/https://geekyrabbi.com/what-day-is-today/What day is today? I feel like that question has been asked more and more in these recent weeks. With kids staying home from school, and many adults working from home, it’s possible that there hasn’t been much to differentiate one day from another.Fri, 17 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionSermonhttps://geekyrabbi.com/hear-one-anothers-prayers/https://geekyrabbi.com/hear-one-anothers-prayers/One of my favorite Torah passages occurs in the first portion of Exodus. Moses had just killed an Egyptian taskmaster, and Moses ran away to escape Pharoah's wrath. These short verses are a watershed moment for the Israelites. ... the people of Israel sighed because of the slavery, and they cried, and their cry came up to God ... And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with…Fri, 27 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and Religionhttps://geekyrabbi.com/it-is-time-to-stop/https://geekyrabbi.com/it-is-time-to-stop/In this double portion, Vayakhel/Pekudei, the Israelites put the finishing touches on the tabernacle. The Israelites are still bringing things to the tabernacle, as they were commanded in T’rumah. They bring more embroideries, sculptures, and paintings. They donate gold, silver and bronze, bracelets, earrings, red skins of rams, goat skins, blue, purple and scarlet linens, onyx stones ... You get…Fri, 20 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and Religionhttps://geekyrabbi.com/anti-semitism-sermon-2020-01-03/https://geekyrabbi.com/anti-semitism-sermon-2020-01-03/A few weeks ago (in December), I was a participant in the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial Conference. During one of the sessions, the president of the URJ, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, spoke to all the participating graduates of Hebrew Union College.Fri, 03 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionJusticeSermonTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/2019-11-08-lech-lcha/https://geekyrabbi.com/2019-11-08-lech-lcha/This week’s Torah portion of Lech L’cha contains one of Judaism’s most well known stories. In fact, I would probably place God’s command to Abraham of go forth and journey, Lech L’cha, as one of the five most important texts in the Torah. Tonight, however, I want to talk about something that happens toward the end of Abraham’s journey.Fri, 08 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionSermonTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/stand-with-other-tribes-yom-kippur-5780-2019/https://geekyrabbi.com/stand-with-other-tribes-yom-kippur-5780-2019/אַתֶּ֨ם נִצָּבִ֤ים הַיּוֹם֙ כֻּלְּכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם רָאשֵׁיכֶ֣ם שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֗ם זִקְנֵיכֶם֙ וְשֹׁ֣טְרֵיכֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ You stand this day, all of you, before God, your tribal heads, your elders and your officials...Wed, 09 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/ecclesiastes-and-job-are-true-kol-nidrei-5780-2019/https://geekyrabbi.com/ecclesiastes-and-job-are-true-kol-nidrei-5780-2019/There is a time for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time for planting, and a time to uproot the planted. These words begin the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. They are the start of a poem, made famous of course by the Byrds’ folk-rock rendition.Tue, 08 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/rosh-hashanah-morning/https://geekyrabbi.com/rosh-hashanah-morning/Earlier this summer, an email exchange between a High School principal and a parent became national news. William Latson, the principal of Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Florida, was communicating with a mother of one of his students about the Holocaust. The mother reached out to Principal Latson to see how the Holocaust was taught at the school.Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/there-is-no-messiah-and-youre-it-rosh-hashanah-evening-5780-2019/https://geekyrabbi.com/there-is-no-messiah-and-youre-it-rosh-hashanah-evening-5780-2019/Hey Rabbi, who is drinking that wine? Congregation Rodeph Shalom is located on the Upper West Side in New York City. Every year during Passover, the synagogue partners with Harlem’s Memorial Baptist Church for what they call a Third Seder. During this seder, these two communities gather together and share stories of slavery and redemption.Sun, 29 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHigh Holidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/the-broken-tablets-are-holy-too-eikev/https://geekyrabbi.com/the-broken-tablets-are-holy-too-eikev/These weeks leading up to the High Holidays motivate us to start doing the important, holy work of t'suvah. The word, t'suvah itself means 'return,' or 'turn.' But as I’ve said before, this return is not a return to the pas. It's a return to the best parts of ourselves, which sometimes, are yet undiscovered. This is the kind of change that Judaism challenges us to do.Fri, 23 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/we-lost-more-than-the-temple-tisha-bav/https://geekyrabbi.com/we-lost-more-than-the-temple-tisha-bav/This weekend, Bend the Arc, The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), our own Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center (RAC) and others are joining together with Jewish communities across the country to demand an end to our current government’s policies that are endangering, incarcerating and deporting refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants.Fri, 09 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHolidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/the-footsteps-of-halachah-bchukotai/https://geekyrabbi.com/the-footsteps-of-halachah-bchukotai/In this portion, the last in Leviticus, God promises heaps of reward and blessing for following the statues. God prefaces all of the blessings with this verse: If you walk in my statues, and keep my commandments, and do them... For 10 verses, God goes on at length about the various gifts that will be bestowed upon us should we follow God's commandments. In flowery language uncharacteristic of the…Fri, 31 May 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/the-future-memory-of-israel-yom-hazikaron/https://geekyrabbi.com/the-future-memory-of-israel-yom-hazikaron/I’ve been thinking about memory a lot lately. Two pop culture juggernauts have recently used the concept of memory in thoughtful ways that are appropriate on this Shabbat. Before I get started, I promise that I’m not giving away any spoilers.Fri, 10 May 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHolidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/we-do-it-because-we-are-jewish-yom-hashoah/https://geekyrabbi.com/we-do-it-because-we-are-jewish-yom-hashoah/This year's commemoration of Yom Hashoah feels different. We are still reeling from the murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye. Just as Pesach ended, celebrating the themes of freedom and redemption, a white supremecist went into the Chabad synagogue with only one motive: killing Jews. Lori was with her beloved community worshipping and observing the Yartzeit of a loved one, just as all of us are doing on…Fri, 03 May 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionHolidayhttps://geekyrabbi.com/strange-fire-shmini-2/https://geekyrabbi.com/strange-fire-shmini-2/There's no way around it, sometimes our Torah is troubling. When dealing with problematic passages from the Torah, we sometimes engage in a kind of intellectual and theological sanitization of the text so that the verses seem more palatable and understandable. This week's portion, Sh'mini, is one of those portions.Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionTorahhttps://geekyrabbi.com/a-rabbi-talks-about-christianity-from-a-unitarian-pulpit/https://geekyrabbi.com/a-rabbi-talks-about-christianity-from-a-unitarian-pulpit/In 2006 I started my rabbinate in Omaha, Nebraska. Shortly after, I met Debra McKnight. Debra served as the Associate Reverend at the First United Methodist Church located just across the street. She has the distinction of giving me one of the most unique gifts I’ve received in my 13 year rabbinate. One morning, I came into my office and found a pineapple on my desk. Attached was a welcoming note,…Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and Religionhttps://geekyrabbi.com/jacobs-ideal-death-teaches-us-how-to-live-vayechi/https://geekyrabbi.com/jacobs-ideal-death-teaches-us-how-to-live-vayechi/If there is such a thing as an ideal death, it is described here in Parashat Vay'chi. Jacob is on his deathbed. Joseph is with him in addition to his eleven other sons. Jacob is able to give each one of them a prediction of their future, and a blessing. He blesses his grand-children, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob witnesses the beautiful reconciliation between Joseph and his other brothers.Fri, 21 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMTJudaism and ReligionTorah