All of you be comforted, be comforted my people
Nachamu, nachamu ami All of you be comforted, be comforted my people אמי נחמו נחמו — Isaiah 40:1 by Rabbi Dev Noily When I hear those words, I imagine the inviting arms of a big loving mama bear wrapping around me—come rest in here for a while, let the burdens lift off your shoulders, release […]
How Do We Meet Rising Antisemitism? Let’s Beef Up Solidarity.
by Rabbi Dev Noily Let’s talk about antisemitism. Since the election I’ve felt more vulnerable as a Jew in the U.S. than at any other time in my life. I’ve gotten to talk with a number of people in our community about how this shift in Jewish safety / Jewish vulnerability is affecting us. There’s […]
Rousing Our Better Angels
by Rabbi Dev Noily Better angels of our nature, stay awake now. You’re in danger. — Storyhill, Better Angels The thing that concerns me the most about Donald Trump’s ascent to political power is that the better angels of his nature seem […]
High Holy Day Sermons 5777/2016
Our High Holy Day Sermons are now available to read online: Erev Rosh Hashana Sermon by Rabbi Dev Noily: “A River Goes Out From Eden” Rosh Hashana Sermon by Rabbi Avi Rose Kol Nidre Sermon by Rabbi David Cooper: “God, the Covenant, and the Inside-Outsider” Yom Kippur Reflection by Scott and Rose Gelfand Yom Kippur […]
Erev Rosh Hashana Sermon by Rabbi Dev Noily: “A River Goes Out From Eden”
I want to talk with you tonight about home. About what it means to have a home, to be pushed out of our home, and to long for home. These questions feel so urgent because so many people in the world are being forced to leave their homes‐‐by violence, and climate change, and simple greed. […]
High Holy Days 5777/2016 ~Seeking Shelter in the Days of Awe: Immigrants and Refugees, Longing and Home
by Rabbi Dev Noily In March of this year a group of Kehilla members working on immigration issues called a meeting to connect people in our community who are involved in all kinds of work and service with immigrants and refugees, and the laws and policies affecting them. Here are some of the ways people […]
In Reponse to the Pulse Orlando Shooting
by Rabbi Dev Noily In the early hours of June 12, as we celebrated Shavu’ot, a massacre was erupting at Latin Night at Pulse in Orlando. Scores of mostly young Latinx queer people were brutally killed. Even more are surviving with lives and bodies and spirits shattered. Yet more who love them are forever scarred […]
Join me at SVARA’s Queer Talmud Camp!
July 3-7 @ Walker Creek Ranch by Rabbi Dev Noily You don’t have to be queer to come to Queer Talmud Camp—you just have to be curious about queer readings of Jewish texts, be up for a learning experience unlike any you’ve ever had, and know your alef-bet! (And if you don’t know you’re alef-bet, […]
Kehilla’s First Annual Leadership Retreat: Growing Kehilla from Strength to Strength
by Rabbi Dev Noily On February 5-7, at Black Mountain Retreat Center near Cazadero, a group of Kehilla’s leaders, including staff, spiritual and musical prayer leaders, and lay leaders, will gather for Kehilla’s first annual Leadership Retreat. Our working weekend will be facilitated by Susan Colson. At the age of 31, Kehilla is becoming an […]
Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon 5776/2015 by Rabbi Dev Noily
Standing Together, Right Smack in the Middle of the Torah Speech as Spiritual Practice When my partner Sara and I were younger and first together, probably in our late 20s, around “Glitter”[1] age, we used to go to Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco on Friday nights. There were lots of interesting people, and […]
