Portfolio
Sermons
Creative, resonating, grounded in Torah and Jewish tradition
This is Our Story
Parshat Vayetzei, 5785
“Today in the United States, there are millions of ‘Jacobs’. Individuals who seek to flee dangerous situations at home, traveling to new lands with the hopes of a better life. And, like Jacob, these migrant workers are often exploited, toiling in dangerous conditions with incomes below the poverty level.”
Building the Sanctuary Within
Parashat Terumah, 5784
“The small mikdash, the holiness in you, is what fills the big Mikdash of the synagogue. And in return, the big Mikdash of the synagogue fills your cup through offering Shabbat, the time and space we each need to step out of our crazy lives and get in touch with our own holiness.”
Living in a “We” World
Rosh Hashana Day 2, 5786
“The world does not revolve around “me”. It revolves around “we”. This interconnectedness is lifted up in Jewish tradition. In the Talmud we are taught Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Bazeh, all of the people of Israel are responsible for one another.”
A Journey ___ Yourself: The Four Types of Lech Lecha
Parashat Lech Lecha, 5786
“We all have Lech Lecha moments in our lives. And if you think that it may not be the right time or you may be to old, we need to remember that Abraham was 75 years old when God called out to him.”
Publications and Writings
Reflections and explorations of Jewish text and sacred community.
Valuing Life
In these verses, the attacker must pay “life for life”, “nefesh in place of nefesh,” only if the mother dies. There is an essential distinction between the mother and the fetus. The mother is considered a nefesh, a soul, and her death is a capital crime. The loss of a fetus, which is not considered a nefesh, carries a lesser penalty. Jewish tradition engages with this text as part of a broader conversation about harm, responsibility, and the value of life and well-being.
I Will Be What I Will Be - Multiple Path’s to God’s Presence
Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, I will be what I will be, pushes the boundaries of who and what God is to humankind.
In Judaism, there are many paths to understanding God’s presence in our world and our lives. We all have an ever-evolving connection to the world and to the Divine.
Light and Possibility
Both Chanukah and Parashat Vayeshev invite us to pay attention to the flickers of light and possibility in our own lives. Sometimes this is bright and obvious, shining strongly; sometimes it’s faint and difficult to see, consumed by the darkness.
A Contemporary Psalm of Lament
Oh God,
Creator of every living thing,
who made all of humankind in Your Divine image,
I cry out to You,
asking that You hear my voice,
rising up like smoke from the altar, impossible to ignore.
Grief – A Prayer From a Meditation on Psalm 6
Ruakh HaHayim, Maker of beginnings and endings,
You remember how fragile life is,
and recognize what can no longer be held…
When Grief is Quiet
It may be shocking, then, to read this week's parsha, Shemini, which recounts the tragic deaths of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu. The sons offer a "strange fire" to God, an offering that was not commanded. As punishment, the sons are consumed by divine fire and die. In the immediate aftermath, the Torah tells us simply, "And Aaron was silent." This reaction may seem puzzling. Why doesn't Aaron lash out at God, who took his sons' lives? Why is Aaron not screaming and crying? How can Aaron be so calm, so heartless, in the face of an immense loss?
Wrestling Into Blessing
Many interpret Jacob as wrestling with a messenger of the Divine, an angel. But Rambam, a 12th century rabbi and philosopher, argued that it is impossible to wrestle with an angel, and explained the encounter as a dream or holy vision.