Oz V’Shalom, A Sermon for Yom Kippur Morning 5785

I would like to talk to you this morning about two important ideas in our tradition: strength and peace; oz v’shalom. In the Bible, Psalm 29 ends with the verse: H’ oz l’amo yiten; H’ yevarech et amo vashalom. “God will give strength to his people; God will bless his people with peace.” So we might ask, what is the relationship between strength and peace?

Which Side are You On? Empathy and Compassion as a Road to Healing and Peace A Sermon for Kol Nidrei 5785

It’s interesting when we think about our lives and the memories of seemingly mundane things that stick with us. Over the past few months, I have thought of one memory in particular when I was in 7th grade and started to be more tuned in to news. It was 1974, the year after the Yom Kippur war, and I had begun to follow as well as I could the tensions on the borders between Israel and her neighbors. Every strike or harm against Israel affected me. And being a budding young activist who wanted to make a difference, I decided to write petitions against actions the Arab countries were taking against Israel, and to get my classmates to sign them.

L’Dor Vador, Halleluya A Sermon for Rosh HaShanah 5785

Look around you for a moment.  There are people in our community from young children to elders approaching their 100th year.  What a miracle that all these generations are here together, celebrating our 3000-year-old tradition on this New Year.  L’Dor vador, from generation to generation.”   Halleluya.

I want to talk about this idea of l’dor vador today.  For if there is one phrase from our liturgy that speaks to people universally, it is that phrase—L’dor vador.