Concert Across America

Shabbat Shalom! I missed you all! It was nice getting to check in and catch up with a few of you last Shabbat. Gavi and I were away for most of the summer in Florida for an internship I had down there. It was a lot of really hard work. Slaving away day after day without a moment’s rest. And it is really nice to be back home.

You know…I’m starting my 5th and final (God willing!) year of rabbinical school. I’m trying to soak in all of the academics I can before I have to go out into the real world. And the good (or maybe bad) news for all of you, is that you are going to have to listen to me ramble about all of the stuff I’m learning in class!

The topic right now that’s grabbed the strongest hold of my attention is a course in “ritual studies.” That’s right. I go to school to talk about the theory and creation of sacred rituals. I’m not sure why there’s anyone who doesn’t want to be a rabbi. We’ve been talking about what defines a ritual. What rituals are for. Sociological, psychological, political, and anthropological critiques of rituals. And what makes for good (or bad) ritual.

Learning to Disagree

This past Wednesday, my wife and I were out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. We spent the whole time talking. And then, toward the end of our meal, this random stranger came over and said, “Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt you. But, I just wanted to say, it was so lovely to see the two of you sitting here talking all night. You never took out your phones. You just talked. You never see that anymore. It was really nice. Anyway. Thanks. Have a good night.”

I think that was the sweetest chutzpah I’ve ever experienced!

HUC Purim Spiel! Every Senior Sermon

Delivered as part of the HUC-JIR class of 2017 (and friends) Purim Spiel. See a video of the sermon after the jump!

I open with a joke. It's not a very funny joke. But you have to laugh out of obligation. Then I transition into a personal story. The personal story starts off cute and accessible. And it starts to take a turn. A serious turn. But it ends with a message. An important message. And now. We have started the sermon.

In this week’s parsha we learn a valuable lesson. I'm going to tell you the lesson. It's a valuable lesson. In the time of Torah and in our day today.

#MaccaBEtheLight

Sermon for Misphakha Shabbat at Woodlands Community Temple. Lots of music, lots of families, and, this time around, LOTS of hanukkiot! It's a "visual worship" service, which means there are large screens with these (and other) images projected during the sermon. Chag Urim Sameach!

If you have a message that’s really important to you, that you think everyone needs to hear, what’s the way you get it out? I think some our students might be best equipped to answer. Twitter.

140 characters. You have to be succinct, you have to be snappy, you have to catch the eye in an instant. Other people see it, are inspired by it, and pass it along to their friends.

And I think that Hanukkah is the original Twitter.*

And I’ve still got 16 characters to spare!

Tzaddikim in Training

The text and video below are my "Senior Sermon" at HUC-JIR. The Senior Sermon is delivered in the 4th year of rabbinical studies and is the one opportunity to preach in this capacity to the students, faculty, and administration of the New York campus. Video and the rest of the sermon text are after the jump. Hope you enjoy!

When I was six or so, my mother said me, “being a good Jew means being a good person.” I was a dutiful son, so I believed her. And I still am, so I still do. Since that moment, I’ve been trying to figure out how to be good.

Of course, I think she meant something more grand than good, but you know, she said it to a six-year-old, so “good” will have to suffice. I’ll have to check with her after services, but I am pretty sure she meant something like working to save the world!

I won’t give you a laundry list of the world’s problems, however – not now, anyway. It’s 11am and you’ve checked the Times, Ha’aretz, or Facebook at least once. It’s enough to say that for me – and probably for you – being “good” requires becoming a part of resolving these problems.

Shabbat Shuva: Asking Questions with Eyes Wide Open

Something felt different this year. Tragedy after tragedy opened our eyes to injustice in new, heartbreaking ways. It became more difficult for our communities to hide from the realities of social and economic inequality.

In the coming year, what changes will we seek?

Our Goofy Looking Instrument

Photo from ReformJudaism.org

What a goofy looking instrument. In the Reform Movement generally and at Woodlands specifically, we have modernized so many parts of our Jewish experience. We have projector screens in our sanctuary, we include egalitarianism and modern notions of science in our prayers, we have an electric ner tamid, we play acoustic guitars with plug-ins to a sound system…but we still use a ram’s horn to announce the beginning of the year. Wouldn’t a trumpet or bugle provide a cleaner, crisper sound? Why do we use this awkward, rough, imperfect piece instead of a modern instrument?