Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

The kidnapping in Nigeria several weeks ago of 300 schoolgirls by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has caused an international uproar and, a by now famous “Bring Back our Girls” Twitter campaign initiated by Michelle Obama. The mitzvah of Redeeming of the Captive — “Pidyon Shevuim” in the Hebrew –– is of such importance…

IF….. This week’s sermon is a meditation, of sorts, on the first word of our weekly parasha. It is a small word in Hebrew, only two letters – eem. The equivalent in English is “if”. A review of a new book entitled Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives! A World Without World War l – appeared in…

Whose Responsibility?   I wonder if the idea I am going to talk about tonight has ever crossed your minds before.  It is an idea that might even seem heretical.  It is certainly out of the ordinary. Yet, it is an idea that comes from the heart of the Jewish tradition. It has to do with…

 The founding of the State of Israel in 1948, 66 years ago, will be observed the 6th of Iyar, this Tuesday, May 6th. It has been a tumultuous history, born from a war initiated by its neighbors who refused to accept the UN vote declaring Israel a Jewish State. Yet Israel, still surrounded by enemies,…

Do Not Stand by the Blood of your Fellow This weekend marks Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Memorial Day. We will be having our annual Holocaust Memorial Service this Sunday, following our Jewish United Fund brunch. Our speaker will be Jeannie Smith, the daughter of a Righteous Gentile. She will tell the story of her mother,…

Hole-y Matzo!  I am currently reading Taking the Stand, Alan Dershowitz’s account of his professional life as a Harvard Law Professor as  a, high profile attorney, and as an ardent defender of Israel.  Dershowitz was retained by Jim Bakker, the famous televangelist who had been convicted of fraud in relation to his ministry in 1989.…

Life and Death are in the Hands of the Tongue A midrash tells us that the King of Persia took ill and was advised by his doctors to drink the milk of a lioness in order to be cured. A man came before the King and volunteered to bring the king fresh lion's milk. The…

(With much talk about Secretary of State John Kerry's peace initiative coming to a conclusion, I wanted to share with you this sermon I delivered on March 7, which I thought I had posted but found this morning in my unsent “draft” box.)  Prospects for Peace This evening I would like to share a discussion…

Leaders for our Time One of the most troubling episodes in the entire Torah is found in this week’s parasha. I am referring to the deaths of two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Abihu. They have just been initiated into the priesthood and have been instructed about the proper conduct of worship in the Tabernacle.…

Mistakes Christians Sometimes Make about Jews In our megillah reading tomorrow night, Haman says to King Ahasverus, “There is a certain people- scattered and dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of your realm, whose laws are different from those of any other people and who do not obey the king’s laws….”  Those…