Please join me for six weeks of meaningful study on the themes of the High Holidays
For the Sin We Have Commited Against You Through …. Zionism? Al Cheit Shechatanu L’fanecha For the sin we have committed against You …Each Yom Kippur we recite these words over and over again, listing the sins we have committed. I always find it powerful to remember what I was taught about this section of […]
The Sermon I Am Always Giving (i.e. Why Be Jewish): This time in the context of a world that would rather we go into hiding Last night, I spoke about antisemitism, a sermon I thought I would never have to give. I spoke about how it feels like we have come to the end of
Rosh Hashanah Morning 5786 Read More »
A Sermon I Never Thought I Would Give, But Here We Are
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5786 Read More »
Elul 5785 With thanks once again to Jewish Studio Project and Rabbi Jordan Braunig for the beautiful & inspirational daily writing prompts that revitalised my sacred writing practice Elul I: Meiatz’mo Elul 3: Shanah Elul 4: I Am Not Done Elul 5: Return Us Back to This Elul 9: High on Love
The following D’var Torah was written / delivered for Am Shalom Congregation, in Barrie, Ontario (August 2025 / Av 5785)
Devarim 5785: The Importance and Challenges of Retelling Read More »
I didn’t write about the the endingbecause sometimes the ending leaves youbreathless and without words to conveyYou must just go backAnd read the storyif you want to knowAnd don’t forget to read betweenthe linesAnd don’t forget where faith carries us and where faith fails usAnd where others carry uswhen we’ve run out of steamThis is
At The End (Pikudei 5785) Read More »
And God calledGod callsDo we answer?Are we Jonah – trying to run from it?Are we Isaiah putting up our hand:Hinenni – I am here Listening ReadySometimes God calls,pointing the way and we’re excitedto go to follow to (ad)venture forthWe are eagerWe go willinglyAnd sometimes God calls and it’s more like a command:Go!And we know we
God Calls (Vayikra 5785) Read More »
I read about the Mishkan How it was designed to be transportedwith all its rings and poles So thoughtfully created to be curated through the wildernessI wonder about the cherubim atop the Arkwith their heads bowed and their wings folded inwardAn additional layer of protection over the sacred items within?Lately I have been transportedfrom one
Carry Me Home (Vayakhel 5785) Read More »
We are criticalof Moses the Leader who smashesthe TabletsBut this isn’t his Great SinWell, maybe his Temper, since smashing is something he gets in trouble for laterBut not hereHere, you’d thinksmashing the God-Given Tablets would be more seriousthan smashing a river rockAnd yetGod is a Gentle Parent this timeto Moses(not so much to the idolators)
A Sacred Prescription (Ki Tisa 5785) Read More »
How do we bring You offerings of the heartwhen our hearts are so very HeavyThe world seems to be Careening out of controlUgly and unpredictableSomeone called it a dumpster fire todayAnd certainly fires are burning as we reapthe consequences of our abuse of Your beautiful worldNot to mention one another,Your beautiful creationsWhat do we have
Scant Offerings (Teruma 5785) Read More »