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Read Rabbi Knopf’s Recent Posts
- Celebrating Jewish Culture in Troubled Times November 7, 2019
- Nature Abhors a Vacuum. But Antisemitism Loves One. October 13, 2019
- The Promises of Israel October 12, 2019
- Where the Oppressed Shed Tears October 5, 2019
- Bad Faith Broke Us. Only Good Faith Can Fix Us. October 4, 2019
Category Archives: Articles and Op-Eds
Renewing our Vows: A New Approach to Intermarriage
Recently, my congregation’s lay leadership voted to permit its clergy to officiate at marriages between a Jewish individual and a partner from another background (with some important conditions), if and when the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly and the Cantorial Assembly … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged Conservative Judaism, conservative rabbis, Conversion, interdating, interfaith, intermarriage, religion, society
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The Disappeared: A Richmond Rabbi Takes On Human Rights In Guatemala
The history of Guatemala’s secret abductions reminds us how important the principle of universal equality really is — and points out how far from that principle the United States has gone. On a recent trip to Guatemala with rabbinic colleagues … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Sermons
Tagged AJWS, faith, Guatemala, human dignity, human-rights, justice, politics, religion, social justice, society
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A Non-Partisan Jewish Voting Guide
1. Anti-Semitism, racism, hate, and bigotry. Does the candidate stand up against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry? Did s/he condemn the neo-Nazis and other white nationalists who marched with guns and torches in Charlottesville in 2017? Does s/he … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged community, culture, current-events, education, environment, faith, health, healthcare, history, human-rights, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, justice, medicine, middle-east, peace, politics, religion, science, security, social justice, society, theology
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What’s Driving Jews Away From Synagogues? Not Dues, but ‘Membership’
It is no secret that the traditional synagogue model is showing signs of age: Over the past two decades, membership has declined across the United States, forcing many synagogues to merge and even to close for good. There has been … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged american jews, American Judaism, faith, religion, society, spirituality, synagogue, synagogues
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Haspel nomination reignites torture debate
On 9/11, I was a brand-new college student living in New York City for the first time. In the aftermath of that day’s tragic events, I, like other Americans, was consumed with fear and anger. But then, as the War … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged current-events, faith, history, human-rights, justice, peace, philosophy, politics, religion, Religion and Politics, security, social justice, society, terrorism, Torture
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A Powerful Conversation at Governor Northam’s Interfaith Passover Seder
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gov. Ralph Northam and a small, interfaith group of religious leaders for a Passover seder at the Executive Mansion in Richmond. Passover is the Jewish holiday commemorating the biblical … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged current-events, faith, food, history, Islam, peace, politics, religion, social justice, society
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In The Face of Injustice, ‘Neutrality Is Not a Morally Acceptable Option’
Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the enslavement and liberation of the Children of Israel from Egypt, is right around the corner. In just a few days, Jews everywhere will gather not only to recall the story of the Exodus but … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged current-events, faith, healthcare, history, Jewish holidays, justice, Money, Passover, peace, Pesah, politics, religion, social justice, society, Trump
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