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Read Rabbi Knopf’s Recent Posts
- Crimes Against Humanity — Parashat Nasso 5783 June 4, 2023
- A Temple For All – Parashat Ki Tissa 5783 March 12, 2023
- Don’t Hate One Another More Than Necessary March 10, 2023
- Antisemitism bills shouldn’t stifle free speech February 13, 2023
- With Israel’s Democracy In Danger, We Must Not Silence Critics January 23, 2023
Tag Archives: American Judaism
With Israel’s Democracy In Danger, We Must Not Silence Critics
As a new far-right government takes power in Israel, a debate among Jewish Americans has erupted about what it means to be “pro-Israel.” This is not new. Even before the First Zionist Congress convened over 120 years ago, there were … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged AIPAC, American Judaism, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Judaism, justice, politics, social justice, society, wisdom, Zionism
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Introducing ‘No Time for Neutrality’
I am excited to announce the publication of my latest book, No Time for Neutrality: American Rabbinic Voices from an Era of Upheaval! It is available for purchase on Amazon. The book is a compilation of the best rabbinic writings from the … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements
Tagged american jews, American Judaism, human dignity, human-rights, Judaism, justice, peace, politics, righteous indignation, social justice, society, Torah, Trump, truth, wisdom
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The Jewish Urgency of this Moment
Pictured: Rabbi Michael Knopf giving the introduction at Jewish Americans for Biden Event in Richmond on October 1, 2020, featuring Mr. Doug Emhoff, former Governor Terry McAuliffe, and Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn (photo credit: Kristin Gorin) Good morning. It is good … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged American Judaism, Democracy, Judaism, justice, politics, racism, Religion and Politics, social justice, tikkun olam, Trump
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The Promises of Israel
Sermon from Kol Nidrei — October 8, 2019 It is striking that we initiate Yom Kippur with Kol Nidrei, a liturgical poem that both highlights the promises we make and alludes to the fact that we have an unfortunate … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged American Judaism, community, culture, current-events, faith, history, human-rights, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, justice, middle-east, peace, personal, philosophy, politics, religion, social justice, society, spirituality, terrorism
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Bad Faith Broke Us. Only Good Faith Can Fix Us.
Sermon for Rosh Hashanah Day 25780 — October 1, 2019 Just over 400 years ago, in August 1619, a ship called The White Lion landed at Point Comfort, now Fort Monroe, in Hampton, about 60 miles downriver from us here … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged american jews, American Judaism, culture, current-events, faith, history, politics, race, racism, religion, society
Comments Off on Bad Faith Broke Us. Only Good Faith Can Fix Us.
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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Inauguration Benediction
I was honored to have been invited to deliver the benediction at the Inauguration Ceremonies for Governor Ralph Northam, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, and Attorney General Mark Herring at the Virginia State Capitol, January 13, 2018. Below is the text … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Sermons, Uncategorized
Tagged American Judaism, community, culture, current-events, equality, ethics, faith, history, human-rights, inclusion, Judaism, justice, peace, politics, religion, social justice, society
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Statement about the President’s Islamophobic Tweets
Tuesday morning, President Trump retweeted several outrageous (and, reports indicate, phony) Islamophobic videos from a fringe British ultranationalist group. The outburst represents a continuation of a disturbing pattern. President Trump routinely targets and vilifies Muslims. The pattern seems to intensify … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections
Tagged American Judaism, community, equality, ethics, fear, God, human-rights, Islam, Islamophobia, Jewish thought, Judaism, justice, leadership, middle-east, Muslim-Jewish relations, peace, politics, race, racism, religion, social justice, theology, Torah, Trump
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One Community, One Campus: Rosh Hashanah Day 1, 5777
Of all the enemies our ancestors faced in antiquity, perhaps none were more fearsome than the Assyrians. Around 900 BCE, Assyria began to conquer much of what was at the time the known world. The empire Assyria built stretched from … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged American Judaism, Conservative Judaism, faith, High Holidays, High Holy Days, Jewish holidays, Judaism, religion, rosh hashanah, spirituality, synagogue, synagogues
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Transforming Synagogues with Jewish Joy
On Sunday, Jews are observing Rosh Hodesh Adar, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar. During Adar, we celebrate Purim, a boisterous holiday marking the saving of the ancient Persian Jewish community from near-extermination. In anticipation of the holiday, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged American Judaism, Conservative Judaism, God, holidays, joy, prayer, religion, spirituality, synagogues, theology
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Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 