Kol Nidre Sermon by Rabbi David Cooper: “God, the Covenant, and the Inside-Outsider”
Ellis Island Story Referenced in Sermon Introduction to Hagar & Ishmael Torah Excerpt (Genesis 21:9-21) A few years ago, I was dropping my son Lev off at college. I helped […]
Yom Kippur Reflection by Scott and Rose Gelfand
Scott: Good morning everyone and happy New Year. I am deeply honored to be here, along with my daughter Rose, and also eternally grateful to Kehilla for creating a sanctuary […]
Rosh Hashanah Sermon by Rabbi Avi Rose
During the past year, I along with all of us, have been immersed in images of people fleeing, escaping war and persecution, crowding into barely habitable places where they aren’t […]
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 […]
Yom Kippur Day Sermon 5776/2015 by Ruthie Levin
Withholding One’s Words When I read the theme in preparation for this year’s High Holiday Services it made me think about the words we say and do not say to […]
Yom Kippur Day Teaching 5776/2015 by Rabbi Burt Jacobson
Judging Others Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the 18th century Hasidic movement, was not only a mystic and a spiritual teacher; he was also a shamanic healer, and […]
Rosh Hashanah Day Sermon 5776/2015 by Howard Hamburger
Get comfortable; I’m going to talk for a little while. Later in the morning, Rabbi David will lead us in the Torah service; we’ll chant how the Torah describes the […]
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 […]
A Sermon for Kol Nidre by Rabbi David J. Cooper (High Holydays 5774/2013)
Tzedakah, Right Conduct, and the Face of the Other Unetaneh Tokef, a prayer only said on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur morning is a really scary prayer. I remember almost […]
“Embracing Uncertainty: A Sermon for Kol Nidrey Night” by Rabbi David J. Cooper
The energy of attempt is greater than the surety of stasis Mary Oliver In late June, I was in New York and I had my first opportunity to go […]