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Read Rabbi Knopf’s Recent Posts
- With Israel’s Democracy In Danger, We Must Not Silence Critics January 23, 2023
- Saving Democracy is a Jewish Obligation November 1, 2022
- When the Party’s Over — Shemini Atzeret 5783 October 20, 2022
- The World Was Created for You — Parashat Ha-Azinu 5783 October 8, 2022
- Are You a Hero? — Yom Kippur 5783 October 6, 2022
Tag Archives: Israel
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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A call for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine from an imam and a rabbi
As our respective communities celebrate the Islamic Holy Day of Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) and the Jewish festival of Shavuot (which commemorates the receiving of the Torah), we call upon Muslims, Jews and people of conscience everywhere to denounce … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged holidays, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, justice, palestine, peace, politics, religion, social justice, society
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Help Elect me to J Street Board!
The past four years have been extremely difficult for those of us who cherish democracy and human rights: injustice has spread and authoritarianism has risen at home and abroad. This dark period also saw too many in the American Jewish … Continue reading
Shavuot and Collective Responsibility
It is telling that when Jewish faith is born, it is born in community. The revelation at Sinai, which we commemorate on the festival Shavuot (which begins this Thursday evening), is a national encounter with the Divine, a collective experience. … Continue reading
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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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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The Power to Choose – Rosh Hashanah Day 2 5776/2015
There’s a line in the classic sci-fi popcorn film Terminator 2: Judgment Day that I’ve always found to be very powerful, and very challenging. John Connor, the leader of the human resistance against the machines, says: “The future is not … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged blame, free will, freedom, Israel, palestine, rawabi, repentance, responsibility, teshuvah
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Israel – The Fragile Miracle
The price of prosperity is humility, gratitude, and vigilance; the perpetual realization that one has more than he deserves, that abundance is not destiny, and, for those reasons, all can be lost with at least as much ease as it was attained. Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged history, Israel, Jewish People, jewish state, miracles, security
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Will Partisan Fight Over Iran Deal Permanently Polarize Jewish Americans?
I was on an AIPAC-sponsored trip to Israel on the day the world powers announced their deal with Iran over the latter’s nuclear program. With the American Israel Public Affairs Committee declaring its opposition to the deal early on, I, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged american jews, iran, iran deal, Israel, Jewish People
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Why Israel Matters (to me, at least) – Va-Et’hanan 5775
Today marks the second week of our sermon series about Israel. I wanted to spend some time together this month unpacking several takeaways from my recent trip to Israel and, in general, talking about our relationship to the Jewish State … Continue reading
Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 