Rabbi Danny Sermons

Standing against hate and antisemitism – Rabbi Danny

Posted on November 26, 2023

When a swastika is drawn in our town, in our community, we have to decide how we are going to respond. And there really are two choices: you either ignore it, or you act. And when we think about and study the history of antisemitism and racism, we know how often people choose to ignore Continue Reading »

The response to what happened cannot be silence, indifference, or justification

Posted on October 11, 2023

In a country on the other side of the globe, two terrorists walked into a building and murdered 11 people. It was a hateful crime, which was immediately universally condemned. As a show of solidarity people began posting the country’s flag on their social media accounts, and there was even a slogan of camaraderie that Continue Reading »

What do you want to be?

Posted on October 10, 2023

What do you want to be? Some of us never get asked that question any more, while for the younger members of our community it’s a question that they are probably asked with quite some frequency. Had you asked me that question when I was a child then I would have answered with certainty that Continue Reading »

What we cannot see – responding to the mental health crisis

Posted on September 18, 2023

A few months ago I learned 3 important lessons … from a wheelbarrow. Hire someone or find a friend to help you when spreading a mountain of mulch. A cracked rib is really painful. And 3. Always listen to your wife. I had plans of spreading this mountain of mulch on my own, and over Continue Reading »

A message from Rabbi Danny about Israel and Tisha B’Av

Posted on July 26, 2023

Tonight, we begin the commemoration of Tisha B’Av. This day is without a doubt the saddest on the Jewish calendar, as we remember the destruction of the first and second Temples. In recalling these tragic moments from Jewish history, one of the messages that we take from the day is not that our downfall came Continue Reading »

How I Maintain Hope

Posted on May 17, 2023

Originally published by Combined Jewish Philanthropies as a part of the Face Jewish Hate Campaign My dad’s mother was born in Berlin in 1923 and was one of the lucky ones who escaped before World War II began and the borders were closed. But she still lived through the introduction of a variety of anti-Jewish Continue Reading »

Rabbi relieved that outrage over Natick swastika extended past Jewish community

Posted on April 30, 2023

Originally published in the MetroWest Daily News April 30, 2023 Like many others in my line of work, I have been following the reports about rising levels of antisemitism. I am saddened by the way in which these incidents have become commonplace in communities throughout the country. It was only last month that the Anti-Defamation Continue Reading »

Dayenu: We’ve Had Enough- A Jewish Response to Gun Violence

Posted on March 29, 2023

On Tuesday afternoon we received an email from the principal at our children’s elementary school. She was writing to the parents to let them know that there would be a fire drill tomorrow. Nothing unusual with that, and as a parent with a child who doesn’t like loud noises or changes to his routine it’s Continue Reading »

Fighting for Israel

Posted on March 23, 2023

Fighting for Israel (adapted for circulation)   On a weekly basis, alongside waiting for new episodes of my favorite TV shows to drop, I also wait for a specific message from my family. We have a WhatsApp group simply labelled Mishpacha (the Hebrew word for family), and it includes members of my English and Israeli family. Continue Reading »

Kanye, Wellesley, and Us

Posted on November 1, 2022

I don’t want to stand up here and talk about antisemitism. I wish that our society had reached a place where it was simply not a thing and therefore not requiring of a response. I wish that the condemnations to incidents of antisemitism would be so loud and widespread that you would not need to Continue Reading »