Strange Fire (Sh’mini)
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…
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…
Jacob’s 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…
Drawing Near to God and Ourselves (Vayera)
I have always been fascinated with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God informs Abraham that Sodom will be destroyed due to the wickedness of…
Noah’s Ark & Climate Change (Noah)
The earth was corrupt before God; it was filled with lawlessness. When God saw how corrupt the earth was, God said to Noah, I have…
The Roseto Effect (Yom Kippur Evening 2018)
In a small borough in Northampton County, lies a town called Roseto. Roseto was founded in 1882 by a group of Italians sailing from their…
Happiness is a Choice (Yom Kippur 2018)
Dr. Laurie Santos teaches one of the most popular courses in the history of Yale University. It’s so large, in fact, that the class meets…
Abraham Failed the Test (Rosh Hashanah Morning 2018)
Our tradition teaches that the Akeidah highlights the pinnacle of Jewish faith. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, and the Torah tells us…
Indictiveness, Thou-Ness, and Matters of Substance (Rosh Hashanah Evening 2018)
Buenas noches y feliz ano nuevo. Good evening and Happy New Year! This summer, I started to learn Spanish. I’m using a free app, Duolingo….
Martin Luther King Shabbat
During the civil rights era, many rabbis partnered with Martin Luther King to further the cause of justice and racial equality. A teacher of mine…