HASTEN TO DO GOOD— A Vayera Reflection
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share a D'var Torah at Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid. Though I don't have the full sermon available, here is an outline in sentence form....
Neilah Sermon: Can We Dance in the Shadows? The Practice of Joy in an Imperfect World
Our final service together on Yom Kippur explored what it means to laugh–and find joy–even amidst tragedy. You can listen to the audio recording here: https://recorder.google.com/4aeaf4c9-78d3-42b8-8b0e… There’s a story in Bava Metzia in the Talmud—the...
Yom Kippur morning Sermon: “Can We Dance in the Shadows? The Practice of Joy in an Imperfect World”
On Yom Kippur morning, we reflected on responding to tragedy through silence, the second of three rungs of responding to tradegy according to the Kotzker Rebbe. Listen to the audio recording here: https://recorder.google.com/4a63fa4e-0438-463f-b140… Timothy Wilson,...
Kol Nidre Sermon: “Can We Dance in the Shadows? The Practice of Joy in an Imperfect World”
On the Kol Nidre, we reflected on responding to tragedy through crying or anger. Even as peace (hopefully) looms in the Middle East, there is still much pain that lingers and trauma that is unresolved....
Rosh Hashanah Sermon: “From Vengeance to Teshuvah: Transforming Pain into Possibilities”
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, we explored how teshuvah—the act of repair and reflection—is not about revenge or punishment, but about opening ourselves to transformation and new possibilities. Read the transcript or listen...
Livestream Conversation with Ben Callif
Thank you to strategist, author, and philanthropist — and my cousin — Ben Callif for joining me for my most recent Own Your Judaism Livestream Conversation. We will discuss philanthropy as an expression of Jewish...
Livestream Conversation with Phil Cohen
Thank you to Phil Cohen for joining me for my latest Own Your Judaism Livestream Conversation. We talked about multiple approaches to Judaism, being a role model for the next generation, what the b’ mitzvah...
Conversation with Green Bay Packers Running Back AJ Dillon (yes, he’s Jewish!)
Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon talks about his Jewish upbringing, Hebrew school vs. football, ancestry, being there for others, and what it was like running out the Lambeau Field tunnel for the first...
Own Your Judaism Livestream Conversation with Jonathan daCosta
During the pandemic, Jonathan Costa published his first novel, The Children of Noah: A COVID Tale. In today’s Livestream Conversation, Jon and I discuss the complicated history of his name, the central theory of the...
If God Knows Everything, Then Why Did God Give People Free Will?
Thank you to Mason, 15 years old, for asking this question. In this video, I name seven possible responses and add a story in the middle....