Category: Uncategorized
-
"On Visiting the Sick"
This past Sunday I visited our third grade class. One of the students asked me a question – How many letters are there in a Torah? In rabbinic school we learn that although we “Rabbis to be” will not be able to answer every question put to us, we will be able to know where…
-
Lekh Lecha — "A Sermon on Inclusion"
Senator Tammy Duckworth tells the story of Lisa Carl, who, on May 28, 1988, went to her local theater to see a movie. The theater manager refused to sell her a ticket. It was not because of her race, or because of how she was dressed, or because she had been barred from the theater…
-
Yom Kippur Day 5778 "The Two Steps to Forgiveness"
I want you to think to yourselves, but not say out loud, what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word, “scapegoat”. Hold on to that thought, and we will come back to it later. The story is told of a leader of an Eastern European nation discussing his…
-
Kol Nidre 5778 "Things that Go Bump in the Night"
“Daddy, there’s an alligator under my bed.” “Mommy, there’s a giant spider on my ceiling.” “Help, there’s a monster in my closet.” Those words are familiar to anyone who has ever had children, been around children, baby-sat for children or who have been children themselves. There — that should cover everybody! What do we do…
-
Rosh Hashana Day 5778 "Israel — All Good Things Take Time"
Shana Tova. I am truly honored to be here with you this morning, as we celebrate our tenth Rosh Hashanah together. Where has the time gone? Of course, ten years is nothing compared to our cantor who is celebrating her 24th High Holiday with the congregation! She has served an entire generation, and then some.…
-
Rosh Hashanah Eve, 5778/2017 – My Heart Says, “Seek G-d”
The story is told of an old Jew who prayed every day at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. One day he was interviewed by a reporter for the Jerusalem Post. “How many years have you been praying here?” asked the reporter? “Sixty-seven years,” replied the man. “What do you pray for?” asked the reporter. “I…
-
Parasha Ki Tetze "Immorality in the Torah?"
Recently, I had a discussion with a friend as to whether humanity has made any moral progress in the 200,000 years Homo sapiens have roamed the earth. My friend did not think so. He felt we were as brutish and as morally obtuse as our ancestor the cave man. I on the other hand, thought…
-
Parasha Shoftim: The 'Common Sense' of the Torah
“Freedom speaks with a Jewish accent,” writes Rabbi Sydney Greenberg. By this he means that the Bible describes a G-d who wants man to be free. G-d hears the cries of the oppressed. G-d demands justice and compassion. “When he proclaims his commandments, G-d introduces Himself by describing himself as “The G-d who brought you…
-
Who Moved Moshe's Cheese?
Countless books, articles and sermons have been written about how difficult it is to engage in meaningful prayer. Learning to pray is not easy even if you are the son of a rabbi. In fact it may be especially difficult if you are the son of a rabbi, said Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, who, as the…
-
Parasha Ekev : The Power to Change the World
I want to start out this evening by giving you a quiz. Don’t be nervous, it is not a quiz that you needed to study for before you came to services! You won’t be graded; it will not go on your life transcript. Where does the saying, “A drop in the bucket” come from? Where…
Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph 