The God Who Sees Me
September 25, 2017
Janine and I have an expression about a child who was raised in a dysfunctional family. We say he was raised by wolves. In the case of J.D. Vance, being raised by wolves would have been a step up. In his book Hillbilly Elegy, Vance describes his journey from nearly flunking out of high school to graduating Yale Law School. And, he gives primary credit for his success to his hillbilly grandparents, James Lee Vance and Bonnie Blanton, who he...
Reflections on Charlottesville: Consonants and Vowels
August 20, 2017
My granddaughter Daniella is 8 months old. And, she has begun to experiment with her voice. That’s how babies learn to talk. So, sometimes Daniella is very loud, and sometimes she whispers. Sometimes, she is all vowels—like when she cries. And, at other times, she uses consonants, especially the sounds of b, d and g, which she pronounces over and over again. Eventually, Daniella is going to learn to talk which means she is going to trade in her vowel-dominated communication...
The Elephant in the Room
June 26, 2017
This sermon comes with a trigger warning. Before I begin, I want to say that my purpose in this sermon is not to take a political side or to cast aspersions on any political figure or political party. On the contrary, my purpose is to begin to provide a path of healing and reconciliation among people of vastly different points of view. So, I ask you not to make assumptions about where I am going with this sermon until you...
The Spirituality of Hot Chocolate
June 4, 2017
Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and the author of Lean In. Two years ago, her husband David Goldberg died suddenly at the age of 48 of a massive aneurism. His death left Sheryl in a state of shock. Her children were 8 and 10 at the time. It was a devastating loss. And, she has written a book about her experience called Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy. At the end of the book, Sheryl Sandberg...
Make Me a Kohen
May 19, 2017
I’d like to share an old joke, with a new analysis. Harry Schwartz comes to his rabbi and says, ‘Rabbi. I have a favor to ask. I want to you to make me a Kohen.” And, the Rabbi says to Harry, “Harry, you know I love you. But, I cannot make you a Kohen.” And, Harry says, “Please rabbi, if you can find it in your heart to make me a Kohen, I will donate $10,000 to the synagogue’s annual campaign.”...
Does Siri Exist?
May 7, 2017
We have a pretty complicated Ark at Herzl-Ner Tamid. To get to the Torah, we have to get past two sets of double doors and a curtain with a draw string. And, legend has it that in the days of Rabbi Rose one poor man got so confused that he actually got trapped behind the curtain inside the Ark. Someone closed the curtain while he was still inside the Ark. And, he couldn’t find his way out. So, the whole congregation...
The Harpischord and the Piano
May 1, 2017
I grew up in New York, not far from Jones Beach. And, one of my favorite things to do when I was a child was go to the beach and collect shells. At some point, someone told me that if you hold up the shell to your ear, you can hear the sound of the ocean. And, I always wondered: how can something so big fit into something so small? Our Tradition tells us a beautiful story to answer that question....
The Inconvenience of Anti-Semitism
March 5, 2017
In Megillat Esther which we will be reading soon on Purim, there is a scene in which Mordecai responds to the news of Haman’s nefarious plans for the Jewish people. He puts on sackcloth and ashes and he stands at the palace gate. Esther’s alarmed assistants tell her about Mordecai’s behavior. And, what is Esther’s response? Does she march into the king’s office and demand that he rescind Haman’s decree? Does she go out into the street and march in solidarity...