Search
-
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: peace
Celebrating Jewish Culture in Troubled Times
Keynote address at University of Mary Washington’s Jewish Cultural Celebration (November 6, 2019) Good evening. It is such an honor and a joy to be with you this evening for this celebration of Jewish Culture. It is especially meaningful to … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections, Sermons
Tagged anti-semitism, culture, current-events, faith, history, immigration, justice, peace, personal, politics, race, racism, religion, social justice, society
Leave a comment
Nature Abhors a Vacuum. But Antisemitism Loves One.
Sermon from Yom Kippur — October 9, 2019 In late April of 1913, a night watchman at an Atlanta pencil factory discovered the bruised and bloody corpse of a 13 year-old employee named Mary Phagan in the factory’s cellar. As news … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged anti-semitism, culture, current-events, faith, Islamophobia, justice, peace, personal, politics, religion, security, social justice, society
Leave a comment
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
1 Comment
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
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
The World is Yours, But it Doesn’t Belong to You
On June 14, 2018, I was honored to speak to the graduating class of Maggie Walker Governor’s School at their Baccalaureate ceremony. Here’s what I said: Class of 2018, Let me begin by expressing my gratitude for having been invited … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections, Sermons
Tagged community, current-events, gratitude, growth, history, human-rights, justice, peace, personal, politics, prayer, religion, social justice, society, spirituality, terrorism
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
