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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: Jewish thought
Where the Oppressed Shed Tears
Sermon for Day 1 of Rosh Hashanah 5780 — September 30, 2019 According to tradition, the powerful, piercing cry of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is meant to awaken us from our spiritual and moral slumber, the mindless and purposeless … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged culture, current-events, faith, Guatemala, immigration, Jewish People, Jewish thought, politics, religion, 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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After Charlottesville, Be a Light – Rosh Hashanah 2017
JJ Grey, a contemporary rock and blues singer, once recalled a lesson his grandmother taught him: “you can’t fight darkness, so be a light.” Last month, darkness came to Virginia: An unholy alliance of white supremacists marched on Charlottesville. Just … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged current-events, history, holocaust, Jewish holidays, Jewish thought, justice, peace, philosophy, politics, religion, resistance, rosh hashanah, social justice, society, Trump
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From Great to Good: Rosh Hashanah Day 2, 5777
In the 19th Century, British philosopher Thomas Carlyle argued that history is mainly about the accomplishments of great people. Since then, many thinkers have pointed out the flaws in Carlyle’s “Great Men” theory, but, whether intentionally or not, history is … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged culture, current-events, faith, health, High Holidays, High Holy Days, Jewish holidays, Jewish thought, personal, religion, rosh hashanah, spirituality
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Born in Jerusalem
Our life experiences change us. Often, whether consciously or not, we pass those experiences on to our children. We inherited our parents’ experiences, too, even if they were unconscious of the experiences’ impact on them, and even if they never … Continue reading
Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 