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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
Tag Archives: Judaism
The New Jerusalem
This sermon was originally delivered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia on April 3, 2019. At the center of the Jewish Sabbath liturgy is a question. The Jewish worshipper asks God: “מתי תמלך בציון, when will You reign … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Jerusalem, Judaism, justice, peace, religion, social justice, society
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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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Remarks at 2016 Community Eid Dinner
As-Salam-u-Alaikum and Eid Mubarak. Adira joins me in expressing what an honor it is to be with you this evening. I am deeply grateful to the organizers for their generous invitation, for all their holy work on behalf of the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged ethics, God, holidays, interfaith, Jewish holidays, Jewish People, Judaism, justice, nature of god, peace, politics, rabbis, religion, social justice, society, Tisha B'Av, Torah, wisdom
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Moses for President
As the U.S. presidential primary process slouches toward what will doubtlessly be a contested convention season this summer, I find myself not infrequently wondering what guidance the Jewish tradition would have for selecting our next leader. I have already written … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged ethics, holidays, Judaism, justice, Moses, Passover, Pesah, politics, religion, social justice, society, Torah, wisdom
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30 Days of Liberation – 2016
The Talmud teaches that, during the 30 days before Passover, we should learn about matters related to the holiday. In that spirit, I composed a brief message for each of the previous 30 days, drawing from the wisdom Passover imparts. I hope you find these … Continue reading
Posted in 30 Days of Liberation, Reflections
Tagged ethics, God, growth, holidays, Jewish People, Judaism, Passover, Pesah, religion, social justice, society, spirituality, theology, Torah, wisdom
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