On June 9, I attended on Zoom a webinar organised by Rabbis for Human Rights. Founded in Israel in 1988, and comprising Israeli rabbis from across the denominational spectrum, Rabbis for Human Rights ‘is dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.[1] Its activities include: providing a ‘protective presence’ during […]
SERMON FOR JEWISH LGBT + GROUP EREV SHABBAT SERVICE, 27.05.21 via ZOOM Shabbat shalom everyone. It feels good to be here with you this evening, celebrating Shabbat together as LGBT+ Jews, albeit, virtually. This Shabbat, in Israel and progressive communities across the world, we begin reading the third book of the Torah. The book is […]
Elli to Andrew: Andrew: It is an honour for me to share this dialogue sermon with you. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Breaking Down Walls’, as Liberal Judaism continues to explore ways of making our movement as inclusive as possible. After a lifetime of service to Liberal Judaism, you are President of the […]
Yesterday, it was Purim – actually, according to tradition, today is Purim for those living in walled cities like Jerusalem. On Erev Shabbat, we enjoyed the wonderful Purim Spiel written by Stan Baker – and despite being unable to gather together as we did at Purim last year, nevertheless, in the cacophony that is characteristic […]
It has been quite a week for milestones connected to the issues that have dominated the news during the past year. On Monday, it was Martin Luther King Day in the United States, held each year on the third Monday in January to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King Junior on January 15, 1929[1]. Dr […]
Exactly ten days ago, on November 4th, it was the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin by an Israeli right-wing extremist.[1] Last Shabbat, on the day of the announcement that Joe Biden had become President Elect of the United States, Lord Sacks, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the […]
A new month began on Thursday evening: the Hebrew month of Elul. Traditionally, Elul is the time when we prepare ourselves for the aseret y’mei t’shuvah, the ‘ten days of return’ that begin on Rosh Ha-Shanah and conclude on Yom Kippur. The month of Elul lasts 29 days, so, in four weeks’ time exactly it […]
At this time, 2606 years ago, the inhabitants of Jerusalem were experiencing the full force of the Babylonian conquest. The city had been under siege since the winter, and just over two weeks earlier the city walls had been breached. Exhausted and dying of famine, they didn’t know what lay ahead, but they knew they […]
Apart from being a book of teaching, the Torah is packed with riveting stories. And amongst those amazing tales, a yawning gap. So, last Shabbat, the story of the rebellion of Korach, Datan, Aviram and On against the leadership of Moses and Araon.[1] This Shabbat, the narrative returns at Numbers chapter 20 in parashat Chukkat […]
What has happened to time during this coronavirus pandemic? A number of people have said to me that they find themselves forgetting what day it is. For those not working and staying at home, in the absence of the routines that structure their lives, days seem to merge without differentiation. Only the daily death toll […]