Shavuot: What Are Our First Fruits? (A text study led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on June 12, 2024)   TEXT: Mishnah Bikkurim 3:2-4 כֵּיצַד מַעֲלִין אֶת הַבִּכּוּרִים? כָּל הָעֲיָרוֹת שֶׁבַּמַּעֲמָד מִתְכַּנְּסוֹת לָעִיר שֶׁל מַעֲמָד, וְלָנִין בִּרְחוֹבָהּ שֶׁל עִיר, וְלֹא הָיוּ נִכְנָסִין לַבָּתִּים. וְלַמַּשְׁכִּים, הָיָה הַמְמֻנֶּה אוֹמֵר “קוּמוּ וְנַעֲלֶה צִיּוֹן אֶל בֵּית ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ:” הַקְּרוֹבִים מְבִיאִים […]

Thanksgiving Day: Arousing Out of Need, Not Abundance (delivered by Rabbi Sacks on Friday, November 17, 2023) If we think about Thanksgiving and research its history, we find that it has been largely misunderstood. We usually paint an idyllic picture of Pilgrims inviting Native Americans to festive tables piled high with sumptuous dishes. In truth, […]

First Comes Courage Rabbi J.B. Sacks- Delivered Dec 1    ,2023  A Jewish proverb teaches, “When you have no choice, mobilize the spirit of courage.” Pretty much all Israelis and all of us Jews have had to at least try to mobilize our “spirit of courage” since the October 7 attacks against Israel and the […]

Sukkot: Everything is Breath (d’var Torah delivered by Rabbi Sacks on September 30, 2023) Admiral James Stockdale was the most senior officer in the United States Navy. He led a torpedo squadron during the Vietnam War. On September 9, 1965, while flying on a mission over North Vietnam, Stockdale ejected from his Skyhawk, which had […]

Consider Roddie Edmonds and So Consider Your Mortality (A Yizkor sermon delivered by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on May 27, 2023)  On this Memorial Day weekend, I’d like to recall the life of Master Sgt. Roderick “Roddie” Edmonds from Knoxville, Tennessee, who enlisted in the United States Army in 1941 and served in the 106th Infantry […]

Seventh Day Pesach: Quotes about Slavery/Freedom and a Painting (A community study and d’var Torah led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on April 12, 2023)  On the first morning of Pesach, we took time to discuss quotes about slavery and freedom, and how they might resonate with us. Please refer to your handout. Then we focused […]

Hanukkah and Assimiliation: Ba-yamim Ha-em U-vaz’man Ha-ze (a discussion led by Maayan Lev on December 17, 2022) This week’s parashah is Vayeshev, which begins the story of Joseph. But on top of what’s happening in the Torah this Shabbat, it’s also Hanukkah tomorrow night. So what do these two narratives have in common? In both […]

Parashat Korach: Considerations of Leadership (led by Rabbi J.B. Sacks on July 2, 2022)  Last night I spoke of the difference between Moses’ leadership and Korach’s leadership, which we read about this morning in the Torah reading. Korach’s style was self-serving and preyed upon the hurts, fears, vulnerability, powerlessness, and lack of awareness of people. […]

Parashat B’midbar Sinai: Counting Ourselves As Israel (delivered by Rabbi Sacks on Saturday, June 4, 2022)  We begin reading the Book of Numbers this week. It opens with the taking of a census. After the rather arcane matters we have been reading about in recent weeks—the sacrificial cult, laws of purity and impurity, skin eruptions, […]

Pesach Passages: A Pre-Passover Haggadah Study (Taught by Student Rabbi Maayan Lev on Saturday, April 2, 2022)   As Passover (Pesach) draws near, it is not uncommon for people to make preparations for the holiday days in advance. For some of us, we must figure out logistics such as cleaning our home, kashering our kitchen, […]