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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: prayer
The Floor is Lava: Rosh Hashanah Day 2 5781
Among the best TV shows I binged during the pandemic was te popular Netflix series Floor is Lava. Floor is Lava is a game show — admittedly, a very silly game show — based on a game that you may … Continue reading
A New Prayer for the United States of America
Our God and God of our ancestors, bless and protect the United States of America and secure, strengthen, and advance the ideals and institutions that are its pride and its glory. Guide our leaders and officials to see Your image … Continue reading
Posted in Prayers, Uncategorized
Tagged community, culture, current-events, faith, God, history, human-rights, inclusion, justice, Liberation, liberty, morality, peace, philosophy, politics, prayer, religion, social justice, society, spirituality
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Wearing a face mask? You’re doing a mitzvah. Make a brachah!
Among the Jewish tradition’s most cherished values is the sanctity of human life. With a few notable exceptions, one must not endanger their life in order to fulfill a religious obligation. And one must violate even the most significant commandments … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Public Statements, Reflections
Tagged blessing, coronavirus, covid-19, current-events, faith, health, healthcare, politics, prayer, religion
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Remarks at Islamic Center Standing Together Event (March 17, 2019)
Asalamu aleikum. Peace be upon you, my brothers, and sisters. As I utter those words, I am cognizant of how painfully ironic it feels to be extending greetings of peace to a community shattered by a cruel and horrific act … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections, Sermons
Tagged current-events, faith, Gun Control, Guns, history, Islam, Muslim-Jewish relations, politics, prayer, religion, society, terrorism
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The Responsibilities of Privilege
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about luck. It all started this past summer, when my friend Nadya invited me to her naturalization ceremony. Now, I’d never been to such a ceremony before. But I assumed it would be a … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged current-events, history, immigration, personal, politics, prayer, religion, repentance, responsibility, social justice, society, tefillah, teshuvah, tikkun olam, tzedakah
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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
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Virginia House of Delegates Invocation, February 23, 2018
Mekor ha-hayyim, somkeh noflim, matir asurim— Champion of the downtrodden, we ask that, today and every day, You show our leaders how to walk Your paths: Enable them to see Your image in all people, eradicating all forms of bigotry … Continue reading
Posted in Public Statements, Reflections
Tagged culture, current-events, equality, Gun Control, Guns, health, healthcare, justice, peace, politics, prayer, religion, social justice, society
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Three Essentials to Pack for Your Journey – Kol Nidrei 2017
“Birth is a beginning/ and death a destination./ And life is a journey.” The notion that our lives are a journey, and that we, in our fallibility, might have gone off course, haunts us each Yom Kippur. On eight separate … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged culture, faith, health, history, Jewish holidays, parents, personal, prayer, religion, spirituality, wisdom, Yom Kippur
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6 Years as a Rabbi: What I’ve Learned
A few weeks ago, I completed my sixth year as a rabbi. Much like I did when I finished my third year as a rabbi, I find myself at this juncture reflecting on the wisdom I’ve gained on my journey so far. I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
Tagged education, faith, leadership, personal, philosophy, prayer, rabbis, religion, spirituality
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Mastering the Service of the Heart – Kol Nidrei 5776/2015
At its heart, Yom Kippur is about forgiveness, about each of us having an opportunity to enter into the new year with a clean slate, absolved of our past transgressions. Forgiveness, however, requires confession. In order to be freed of … Continue reading
Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 