I’m thrilled you are exploring Society Hill Synagogue and have found your way to the page of Divrei Torah, words of Torah, which are part of a generations-long Jewish practice of refracting sacred Jewish teachings through the light of our own day and age.
For me, Judaism is an opportunity to nourish ourselves, grounded in the Jewish story: a story that has unfolded throughout the generations, with twists and turns, tragedy and triumph, serving as a source of life to those who engage with it.
The Jewish People are known as B’nei Yisrael: the people who wrestle with the Divine. The name comes from that moment in our tradition in which it is understood that our ancestor Jacob “wrestled with a figure,” a figure understood to be a manifestation of that very Divine Being (see Genesis 32).
That moment produced a legacy of sacred wrestling; grappling; seeking to make meaning of, and find purpose in, our time on earth.
These Divrei Torah are my efforts, in conversation with the community of Society Hill Synagogue, to make meaning and to find purpose, seeking to serve this community, our broader world, and the Divine.
I hope you find meaning in them yourself, and I encourage you to reach out to me if you would like to discuss their contents or to discuss becoming a part of the Society Hill Synagogue community. Welcome!
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The Role of Siblings
I have the privilege now of offering some words of Torah, reflecting on the same parashah, the same Torah portion Alexander and Jenavive will speak about tomorrow, as they share with you all — their family, their community — the results of their process of Yisrael,
Questions — and an attempt at answers — on the ongoing war
Each week I wrestle anew with the events unfolding in Israel, Gaza, and around the globe, thinking about them in different ways. This week, is strikes me that the national and international discourse about Israel and the war between Israel and Hamas is addressing a
How We Show Up For Each Other
I have the privilege now of offering some words of Torah, reflecting on the same parashah, the same Torah portion Bjorn will speak about tomorrow, as he shares with you all, his community, his process of Yisrael — of wrestling with God, as that word
Ongoing Struggling With Israel, Gaza, And Antisemitism
Each week, I struggle with the events in Israel, Gaza, and around the globe. And when I say struggle, I really mean it: Struggle with how we got here, struggle with what we do next; struggle with how we make sense of the complex human
What “Faith” Means To Jews
I have the privilege now of offering some words of Torah, reflecting on the same parashah, the same Torah portion Max will speak about tomorrow, as he shares with you all, his community, his process of Yisrael — of wrestling with God, as that word
Unfolding Responses to War
I said above that I had some additional thoughts to share on the war, evolving as they may be as events unfold. I am largely reiterating some core principles that are informing me as I seek to make sense of, and respond to, this moment.
The Power of Gathering
Dear Friends, It goes without saying how heavy a toll this month has taken: on our souls, our spirits, our psyches—to say nothing of the direct devastation wrought on the lives and the communities in Israel and in Gaza. We feel it. I continue to
What Do Rainbows Have To Do With This?
My four year old daughter Lila loves rainbows. The theme of her fourth birthday—I didn’t know birthdays have to have themes, but according to my wife they do—was rainbows. Her favorite dress is her rainbow dress, her favorite shoes are her rainbow shoes—one day I
Ongoing Response to War in Israel and Gaza
Dear Friends, What a horrendous week and a half it has been in Israel, Gaza, and around the world. We mourn deeply the loss of all innocent life—from the more than 1,400 Israelis that Hamas terrorists killed on that devastating day of October 7, to
Response To Tragedy In Israel on October 7
SINGULAR MOMENT IN ISRAEL As we now know, what took place this past Shabbat and Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah holiday in Israel was not the standard cross-border skirmish we have grown all too accustomed to, where Hamas militants fire rockets from the Gaza strip, Israel retaliates
The Arc of the Holiday Calendar
We’re coming down the final stretch of the fall holiday season here at Society Hill synagogue and in Jewish communities around the world. Sometimes, I offer myself a chutzpadik thought experiment: if I were designing the Jewish calendar, the Jewish year cycle from scratch would
What a Sukkah Teaches Us
Dear Friends, This past week we’ve rung in Sukkot with a series of celebrations: Our intergenerational Sukkah building, which you can glimpse on this time lapse video on Wednesday, September 27 Our musical TGIShabbat/TGISukkot on Friday, September 29 A Shabbat/Sukkot morning Torah discussion with Kiddush lunch in
Making Ourselves Known: Unburdening As A Bridge To The Divine
Yom Kippur, Society Hill Synagogue, 5784 There is one particular story from Torah that is sticking with me this Yom Kippur, and it’s a story that, while perhaps known to many, does not necessarily have an enduring role in the Jewish ritual calendar and so
Loving Your Neighbor As Yourself: A Journey Into The Soul
Kol Nidre, Society Hill Synagogue, 5784 Rabbi Akiva has been called the greatest rabbi of them all, the most esteemed of the ancient rabbis. So when he identifies what he considers to be כְּלַל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, the great principle in all of Torah, you sit
The Enduring Sacredness Of The Synagogue
Rosh Hashanah 5784 I have to say, I never imagined myself here. I never imagined myself as a pulpit rabbi. Many of you know that I had a brief foray as an attorney before this, and even when I got to rabbinical school, I didn’t