Category: Year
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Baha’alotcha 5776: “How to Be a Mensch and Why”
In 2007 an anonymous Jewish blogger attempted to classify all 613 mitzvot of the Torah into those that were likely to be supported by Democrats and those that would be supported by Republicans. He went through…
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Naso 5776: “Arba Avot Nezikin: Four Kinds of Damage”
On March 24, 1999, NATO warplanes lead by the United States Air Force began an eleven-week aerial assault on Serbia to prevent and reverse an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Kosovo. During the course of this brief war,…
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Behar 5776: “But What Does That Have to Do With the Price of Tea in China?”
One of the fun things about Israel is the way in which Jewish culture infiltrates small details of daily life and culture. Instead of using the English idiom, “but what does that have to do with…
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Kedoshim 5776: “Baseless Love or Solidarity?”
History is important, not only as it occurs and is recorded, but also as it is remembered and retold. Sometimes old and well known stories get told in new ways. And, sometimes an event from the…
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Tzav 5776: “Jewish Power from Sushan to Washington”
I speak a lot from this pulpit about the daily minyanim here at Anshe Sholom and the need to strengthen their reliability and grow the attendance, of men and women in this community, at our weekday…
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Vayikra 5776: “If Destruction Be Our Lot”
Judaism is a tradition of great debates: Hillel vs. Shammai. Mystics vs. Rationalists. Hasidim vs. Mitnagdim. Rashi vs. Rabbenu Tam. But, without a doubt, the most confounding debate in Jewish tradition is the debate between Rambam…and Maimonides. Rabbi…
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Pekudei 5776: “Exodus and Revolution”
[Two significant milestones in the shul this week that deserve mention. 9pm Maariv minyan completed six months without interruption. Impressive bein adam l’havero and bein adam l’makom. Daf Yomi completed Gittin and begins Kiddushin on Sunday morning]. **** …
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Shekalim 5776: “Renew Us, As of Old”
I want you to try imagining being in the following situation (but keep your eyes open – no falling asleep). Imagine you are traveling out of state and before returning home you go to catch an…
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Ki Tissa 5776: “Legal Creativity”
When Sara and I were newlyweds we moved into our first apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was in the process of furnishing that small apartment that I discovered a latent talent, a gift, if you will. We purchased…
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Tetzaveh 5776: “Function, Form, & Esthetics: Architecture and the Art of Argument”
One can learn a lot about a community through looking at its architecture. Sixty years ago, when this building was built, the small playroom off the back of the shul served as the shul sukkah. The…
Rabbi David Wolkenfeld 