Maimonides’s writes that the Torah contains terms that contain equivocal meaning; that is to say a figurative definition that points to something other than the way such a term is to be used. It is often used in connection with some type of description of activity related to God (e.g....
Sermon for Yom Kippur Morning- September 26, 2012
Proclaim Freedom for All: The Use of Torah in American Politics
Delivered at Rollins Chapel
Introduction
Forty-two years ago, I had the privilege of studying at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois. The Rosh Yeshiva (the Head of the Yeshiva)...
Sermon Kol Nidre- September 25, 2012
We are all in this Together: The Stories of Yosef Weber,
Delivered at Rollins Chapel
Dartmouth College
Introduction
The prophetic reading for Yom Kippur morning is Isaiah Chapter 57:14 through 58:4. There are two sections that I wish to read. The first is...
First Day of Rosh Hashanah Sermon- September 17, 2012
Tumah and Torah
Delivered at Rollins Chapel
Dartmouth College
Introduction
It was a summer ערב שבת and I was hiking the Appalachian Trail towards Holt’s Ledge. I was going to the Ruddemacher cabin for a Hillel Shabbaton. Most of it was uphill. I...
Sermon Erev Rosh Hashanah September 16, 2012
מעריב רשה השנה
דבר תורה
יהיו לרצון אמרי פי
May the Words of My Mouth
Delivered at Rollins Chapel
Dartmouth College
Introduction
Many years ago, I took my voice teacher Ruth Morton, עליה השלום, to this very Chapel. I had worked with others to design a Rosh Hashanah service based...
Karolina
June 21, 2012
One of the first times I have ever entitled a journal entry by name. I am now flying high above Poland towards Munich where in about an hour or so we will be landing and have quite the lay-over (over 7 hours). The six students returning (a few...
June 20, 2012
Our work is very near completion; there being over 500 headstones to catalogue, to transcribe, to photograph, and so forth. Not everyone is readable, but the vast majority can be read, such that there seems to be so much work lies ahead upon our return. Yesterday was very...
Korcyna
June 16, 2012
I begin with an attempt to overcoming guilt. I have davened this morning and I know that unless I write during the Shabbat, I will fall behind too much and get too discouraged and feel as though I am not with the people I care most...
June 15, 2012
Krasno, Poland
One cannot begin to adequately describe the range of our journey these last twenty-four hours; from Krakow to Auschwitz and now to Belzec. I suspect that many have never heard of such a place and may there never be one like it ever on the face of...
NECI Shabbat: Rabbi’s Sermon on Van Cliburn- 3/1/13
Van Cliburn and Me
Yesterday, Van Cliburn, one of the most celebrated concert pianists in history passed away. When I was six years old, I began to take piano lessons. My father,...