D'var Torah
Meeting the Other Face to Face
In the grand scheme of the occupation, individuals or small groups coming together might seem like a small thing, but Jacob and Esau’s meeting shows us just how powerful personal moments of meeting and reconciliation can be.
more
Seeing God in All of Us: Even (Especially) Those on Death Row
When someone like Kenneth Smith is praying even as he is lying on a bed of death, how can we pass by once we are made aware, awakened to God's presence there?
more
Hunger for Change
Down the line, we may trace the origin of the hunger for power contested between the tribes of Israel.
more
Only Love Can Bring Teshuvah
By listening to human narrative, and even re-visiting what’s challenging, chesed recognizes k’vod habriot in each soul and makes an opening for teshuvah.
more
The Wisdom of Welcome
Welcome, it appears, does not end at the door. It is a commitment to walk with vulnerable guests as they emerge from the protection of our homes and enter the public square.
more
Walking Free: Democracy and Incarceration
Of all the places I have served in a rabbinic capacity, the maximum-security prison where I serve now is the most religious.
more
Closing the Doors of Our Ark to Immigrants
I can imagine a situation where Noah’s gut instinct was to just follow God, but I cannot fathom how he just sat there as the rain started to fall and didn’t do anything to try to save anyone.
more
Being God’s Partner Is A Big To Do
Wherever there is imperfection in our world — people suffering, an ecosystem in distress, systemic injustice — there are unfinished spaces that call on us in our role as God’s partners.
more
Universal and Particular Joy
Sukkot, as a moment of joy with God, is an essential last step of the process of divine judgment and forgiveness.
more
Creating Sacred Communities for the Whole of Israel
As the world has moved on, and as precautions have dropped, high-risk disabled folks are increasingly feeling an existential isolation, not just a physical one.
more