Search
-
Read Rabbi Knopf’s Recent Posts
- ‘Earn This’: Last Day of Passover 5782 April 24, 2022
- Judaism for the Wise and Wicked: Passover 5782 April 20, 2022
- When the Devil Comes for You: Parashat Tazria 5782 April 2, 2022
- Having a Heart: Parashat Teztaveh 5782 February 13, 2022
- What Oneness Demands of Us January 31, 2022
Tag Archives: politics
Having a Heart: Parashat Teztaveh 5782
As far as I can tell, it was contemporary author Elizabeth Stone who first said that having a child is to forever “have your heart go walking around outside your body.” It’s since become something of a cliche, a quote … Continue reading
And Out Come the Wolves: Parashat Va-Yehi 5782
**Trigger warning: sexual assault and violence** It’s altogether fitting that we read Parashat Va-Yehi, the last portion in the Book of Genesis, this Shabbat, as we approach the end of the secular year. Endings are always meaningful opportunities to reflect … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged genesis, Judaism, judges, justice, parashah, politics, social justice, society, Torah, torah portion
Leave a comment
Blessings Are Not a Finite Resource: Parashat Toldot 5782
The first half of the 20th century heralded a building boom of public swimming pools in the US. These were not dinky little DIY neighborhood projects. Rather, communities all over the country were building grand, resort-style, pools, the kind that … Continue reading
Introducing ‘No Time for Neutrality’
I am excited to announce the publication of my latest book, No Time for Neutrality: American Rabbinic Voices from an Era of Upheaval! It is available for purchase on Amazon. The book is a compilation of the best rabbinic writings from the … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements
Tagged american jews, American Judaism, human dignity, human-rights, Judaism, justice, peace, politics, righteous indignation, social justice, society, Torah, Trump, truth, wisdom
Leave a comment
Let’s Talk About How We Talk: Yom Kippur 5782
One of the noteworthy features of our Yom Kippur liturgy is that the viddui, the list of transgressions we confess ten times over the course of this holy day, is dominated by sins of communication. Al het sh’hatanu b’vitu’i s’fatayim, … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged holidays, Judaism, politics, religion, social media, society, Talmud, Torah, wisdom, Yom Kippur
Leave a comment
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
Leave a comment
How to topple tyranny? Simple. Just never give up.
If it’s been good for anything at all, 2020 has been a year for seeing things more clearly. Living in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, I’ve seen how a lie can normalize oppression. A lie can even … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged Democracy, Judaism, justice, politics, race, racism, religion, social justice, society, Torah
Leave a comment
Star Wars, Hanukkah, and the ‘Banality of Evil’
As I celebrate Hanukkah while watching the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+ and anxiously following the news of the president’s and his allies’ attempts to subvert democracy, I find myself once again reflecting on the many connections to … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
Tagged current-events, justice, Liberation, mandalorian, politics, Religion and Politics, social justice, star wars
Leave a comment
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
A Prayer for Election Day Eve: November 2, 2020
Adon olam, sovereign of space and time, look with favor upon all who serve our country, along with all who pursue justice and peace in Your world.We go to the polls in a time of unprecedented upheaval, with a plague … Continue reading
Posted in Prayers, Public Statements, Reflections
Tagged Democracy, politics, Religion and Politics, social justice
Leave a comment