ALEPH is Not Silent – It is Listening
ALEPH Listening Tour at Kehilla Friday & Saturday April 15 & 16 by Rabbi David J. Cooper The Velveteen Rabbi aka Rachel Barenblat and Rabbi David Markus will be guest service leaders and teachers on the Shabbat of April 15 and 16—and they are not to be missed—but they, along with ALEPH Executive Director Shoshanna Schechter-Shaffin, are coming to […]
Downloadable Kehilla HOME seder
Looking for a good interactive bare-bones haggadah? Kehilla-style? New, improved and FREE! Instructions and suggestions on using the Haggadah The Haggadah in PDF format: http://www.kehillasynagogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Home-Haggadah-2013-Heb-Eng.pdf
The Sanctuary and The Journey
by Rabbi David J. Cooper At the Shabbat service on March 12, we are completing the Book of Exodus where a little sacred magic happens. But more on that later. The first parashah (torah segment) in Exodus begins with a list of people who went down to Egypt in Joseph’s time (“These are the names…”). […]
The Turning: God, Jews, and Torah in the 21st Century
by Rabbi David J. Cooper These are some ideas that frame my thoughts as I start co-teaching with Rabbi Burt our course “Radical Judaism for Our Time.” It’s all up for grabs – as the expression goes. The major frameworks of Jewish life for 2000 years are now subject to reevaluation. We are in the […]
Breaking Down the Barriers
by Rabbi David J. Cooper In Eugene Ionesco’s play, Rhinoceros, a man notices that mysteriously one-by-one people around him are turning into rhinoceroses, and they do not notice that this is happening, and neither do most of the people around them who will shortly become rhinoceroses themselves. The play is a metaphor, and it captures […]
Our Wall of History: Dedication at our Hanukkah Party on December 12
by Rabbi David J. Cooper [At our Chanukah party on December 12 we are “ribbon cutting” the amazing Kehilla History Wall in our social hall and honoring the folks who made it happen.] The board of directors was pondering how to celebrate Kehilla’s 30th. This was more than two years ago. Board member Susan Freundlich […]
My Intifada Thoughts
by Rabbi David J. Cooper, October 2015 As I write this, I am watching events in the West Bank that sadly I have been expecting for a while now. Resistance, both non-violent and otherwise, is ramping up against the Occupation. As a rabbi, I am supposed to condemn violence, and I do, but more than […]
The Faith Trio: Now Marching for the Earth on Our 10th
by Rabbi David J. Cooper Jews, Muslims and Christians marching for climate sanity under a banner together. You can watch that on Shabbat morning, November 21. Hey! Don’t just watch; join us! (Gather at 10am at the Lake Merritt Amphitheatre at the Faith Trio banner (near 12th Street and Lake Merritt Boulevard). It makes sense […]
Kol Nidre Sermon 5775/2015 by Rabbi David J. Cooper
Shibboleth Words, Labels, “Commonsense” & Resistance During these Holy Days we have examined the power of words as part of our spiritual journey. Tonight I want to examine that the way we use words and hear words connects to our politics and to our values. I want to consider that words can mean so much […]
Report Back on Israel/Palestine Survey: Agreement on Values; Diversity in Tactics and Solutions
by Rabbi David ~Our High Holy Day Theme: Speak! The Power of our Words~ The Jewish tradition from its early beginnings was built on words even more than on edifices of stone and brick. Words are powerful. How we choose what to say and what not to say is an accurate reflection of what […]
