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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: religious thinkers
The Internal Israel War – Rosh Hashanah Day 2 5775
There is no way to sugarcoat it: this was an extremely long and brutal summer for the State of Israel. After three young Israeli boys were kidnapped by terrorists linked to Hamas and then … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged holidays, Israel, Jewish People, Judaism, peace, politics, rabbis, religion, religious thinkers, rosh hashanah, sermon, social justice, synagogues, Torah, war, wisdom
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Science and Religion Need Each Other: A Reflection on “Cosmos”
Over the past few weeks, I have been captivated by Neil deGrasse Tyson’s remake of the documentary television series “Cosmos.” Utilizing gorgeous computer-generated images, stunning camerawork and accessible terminology, Tyson expertly makes big scientific topics like the origin of the … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged God, nature of god, religion, religious thinkers, science
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Is Spying on Citizens Kosher?
“Big Brother is watching you.” That is one of the most iconic lines from George Orwell’s classic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, but it could also describe one of 2013’s defining stories. In June, The Guardian exposed a classified court order that directed Verizon, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged Big Brother, ethics, halakhah, human-rights, Jewish law, Judaism, justice, NSA, peace, politics, religion, religious thinkers, Snowden, social justice, society, Surveillance, Torah, war
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23 Daily Devotions from 2013
Almost every day in 2013, I posted a reflection, a piece of wisdom, a passage from the Jewish tradition, or a devotional on my Facebook page. Here are my 23 favorites. Hope you enjoy, and find some meaning in these … Continue reading
Posted in Reflections
Tagged Conversion, ethics, God, growth, Israel, Jewish law, Jewish People, Judaism, justice, nature of god, politics, religion, religious thinkers, social justice, society, spirituality, theology, Torah, tragedy, wisdom
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Assimilation is Good for Jews
The Pew Research Center’s recently released “Portrait of Jewish Americans” set off alarm bells in the Jewish world over “assimilation.” The study implied that Jews are becoming less Jewish, that Judaism itself is becoming diluted by outside, secular culture, and that we … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged assimilation, Conversion, Denominations, Jewish People, Judaism, prayer, religion, religious thinkers, society, Who is a Jew, wisdom
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In Defense of the ‘Top Rabbis’ List
Just before Passover, Newsweek/The Daily Beast set off a firestorm when it released its seventh annual list of “America’s Top 50 Rabbis.” Almost immediately, intense debate erupted. Many initiated ferocious polemics against the list in general, arguing that it is bad for rabbis and bad … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds, Reflections
Tagged Jewish People, Judaism, rabbis, religion, religious thinkers
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The Jewish Necessity to Question the Israel-Gaza Conflict
Over the past few years, Hamas operatives in Gaza have been indiscriminately firing rockets into Israeli civilian population centers. When the shelling dramatically increased last week, the Israeli government decided to initiate a strong military response. The Israeli government claims … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged defensive war, ethics, halakhah, human-rights, Israel, Jewish law, Jewish People, Judaism, justice, middle-east, peace, peace negotiations, politics, religion, religious thinkers, ronald dworkin, social justice, society, Torah, war
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Dancing with ourselves on Hoshanah Rabbah and Simhat Torah
During Sukkot, observant Jews participate in a beautiful but relatively arcane ritual. We take a bundle of arba minim, four species of plants: an etrog, or citron fruit; a lulav, or palm branch; a hadas, or myrtle branch; and an … Continue reading
What’s in a Name?
Reposted from: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/rabbis-round-table/what-is-in-a-name-the-name-of-god-1.433984 On Shavuot, Jews worldwide gathered in synagogues to hear the Ten Commandments. Those paying close attention may have noticed that the First Commandment, “I am Y-H-W-H your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, … Continue reading
Posted in Articles and Op-Eds
Tagged God, Judaism, nature of god, religion, religious thinkers, spirituality, theology, Torah
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The Observant Life: Parashat Emor 2012
As many of you know, over the past week I had the great privilege and joy of attending the annual Rabbinical Assembly convention, which this year was held in Atlanta. The Rabbinical Assembly, or the “RA” as it is known … Continue reading
Posted in Sermons
Tagged Conservative Judaism, Denominations, ethics, God, halakhah, Jewish law, Judaism, leviticus, parashah, rabbis, religion, religious thinkers, sedra, sermon, Torah
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Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf 