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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: personal
Message to the Class of 2020
I was asked to record a message for the seniors graduating from Maggie Walker Governor’s School, but I think it is applicable to students everywhere — and, indeed, all of us. Hope you find it meaningful. Feel free to share … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections, Sermons
Tagged current-events, faith, history, personal, politics, religion, responsibility, social justice, society
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‘We can be so much more when we live in love’: Two area faith leaders share thoughts of hope, help during COVID pandemic
The following are thoughts that David Dwight, Lead Pastor of Hope Church in Richmond, and I shared with the Richmond Times-Dispatch on helping people through the difficulties of life in COVID-19. (The questions and responses have been edited for length … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Public Statements, Reflections
Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, culture, current-events, faith, health, healthcare, interfaith, personal, religion, society, spirituality
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What God Needs Now: A Brief Pandemic Passover Reflection
“Once, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai was traveling out of Jerusalem. Rabbi Yehoshua was walking behind him and saw the Temple in ruins. He said, ‘Alas for us, for this place which lies in ruins was where the people Israel atoned … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Sermons
Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, current-events, faith, health, healthcare, Jewish holidays, love, Passover, personal, religion, society, spirituality
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A Eulogy for Helen Zimm (z”l)
Today, I had the painful honor of burying my dear friend and teacher, Helen Zimm. The experience was made even more painful by the fact that most of Helen’s family and virtually all of her community were not able to … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, current-events, faith, history, holocaust, hope, Jewish holidays, Jewish People, jewish state, love, Passover, personal, religion, society, spirituality, women
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A Pandemic Blessing and Prayer
Ever since Lilah, our oldest child, was born, Adira and I have sung a prayer called “B’shem Hashem (The Angel Song)” to our children each night at bedtime, using a melody from Rabbi Solomon Carlebach. It’s a lovely ritual, but … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
Tagged coronavirus, covid-19, current-events, faith, health, parents, personal, religion, spirituality
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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
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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
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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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Everyone Has a Right to Sanctuary – Parashat Matot-Mas’ei 2019
Parashat Mas’ei, the last portion of Ba-Midbar, is both backward and forward looking in nature: It is backward looking, because it begins with a recapitulation of all the places the Israelites sojourned in the wilderness; and it is forward looking … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections, Sermons
Tagged asylum, cities of refuge, current-events, faith, history, immigration, numbers, parashah, personal, politics, religion, society, Torah, torah portion
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Inner and Outer Work
This speech was originally given at the Spring Keynote event for the Chrysalis Institute (now The Innerwork Center) on May 2, 2019. Within a six week span in late 2016, two things happened that changed my life: The first was … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged current-events, justice, personal, politics, religion, Religion and Politics, social justice, spiritual transformation, spirituality
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Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 