Rabbi Josh Breindel

Vayishlach: We Need Stories to Counter the Narrative of Endless War

by Rabbi Josh Breindel
Let’s find courage together by sharing our stories about the world we wish to create; the world we want our children to inherit. As Herzl famously said about the State of Israel, “If you wish it, it is no myth.” It’s similar for crafting a world of peace: By telling our stories, they become no myth; our words become an act of redemptive creation.
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Rabbi Noah Arnow

Vayetze: Could Israel Have Done Better? Can We?

by Rabbi Noah Arnow
May we have the courage to engage across difference. May we find partners who warrant and share that courage, and may we merit their courage. And may we be certain of the incompleteness of our truth, yet dedicated to seeking a truth that is more whole.
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Rabbi Hannah Spiro

Toldot: There Are No Perfect Heroes

by Rabbi Hannah Spiro
Today, we still struggle to recognize the gray within our heroes as well as within our ideological opponents. We jump to point out the hypocrisy, unethical behavior, and dearth of compassion in our enemies, while doing everything possible to underplay that of our allies — and, of course, ourselves.
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Rabbi Jeremy Kridel

Chayei Sara: Calling Politicians to the City Gate this Election Day

by Rabbi Jeremy Kridel
“All politics is local.” That phrase was associated with the late U.S. Congressman and former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. This week features an Election Day. With so much of our attention focused on Israel and Gaza, we might be tempted to miss all the local and state elections happening this week. As if...
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Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson

Vayera: War Ethics from Kabbalah

by Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson
What feels so hard in this moment is that I don’t know what the right course of action is. One of the problems I see in the world’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is a preponderance of either Chesed or Gevurah thinking.
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Rabbi Anna Boswell-Levy

Lech Lecha: Land, Safety, Peoplehood, Pain

by Rabbi Anna Boswell-Levy
Land, for Jews and all peoples, equals safety, security, and sustained fruitfulness. It is home. May we always be grounded in the knowledge that the gift of land and the blessing of home hinges entirely on the choices we make, day after day, to co-exist peaceably with others, as neighbors, as family.
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Rabbi Dr. Barat Ellman

Noach: The Curse of Ham and the Misuse of Tradition

by Rabbi Dr. Barat Ellman
It is on us to use our tradition responsibly, and to challenge its misuse, whether that be in the service of racism and racist institutions, homophobic policies and legislation, nationalistic aspirations, or exclusive claims to land.
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Resources for Responding to Israel-Gaza War

by Rabbi Matthew Dreffin, Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson, Rabbi Jenna Shaw
We offer these texts as starting points for rabbis and cantors to speak to their communities after this first full week of war. When we have no real answers to provide people in this painful time of uncertainty, the best we can do is offer teaching that orients and grounds us.
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Rabbi Karen Bender and HUC student Samantha Thal

Sukkot: Sukkot and the Human Right of Dwelling Safely

by Rabbi Karen Bender and Samantha Thal
Perhaps Sukkot is the festival of understanding our journey, for journeys have no concrete and steel foundations, only earth and sandy feet. And the yearning that should come out of this collective memory must be a passionate commitment to end homelessness everywhere, physical, spiritual, or national.
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Rabbi Lisa D. Grant, Ph.D.

Sukkot: The Tikkun of Climate Action

by Rabbi Lisa D. Grant, Ph.D.
Let Sukkot be our call to action this year. May it give us the spiritual resolve to live in the midst of great uncertainty and challenge, and to take action to pursue climate justice in this vast interconnected world of ours.
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