People will often say that we Jews have a blessing or a prayer for every occasion – and they’d be right. Whatever happens there is a blessing to be said, praising and thanking God. When a person survives a near death experience, they recite Birkat Gomel. God is thanked for rewarding the undeserving with goodness, Continue Reading »
It is such a joy and a privilege to be with you this morning and especially to be alongside my dear friend and colleague Reverend J. Anthony Lloyd. I feel immensely honored and blessed to have the opportunity to deliver today’s invocation. I am ever so grateful to be here, surrounded by friends committed to Continue Reading »
As we approach the end of another calendar year, alongside holiday celebrations, we have a new tradition of celebrating individuals as heroes or people of the year. Most prominently we have the Time Magazine Person of the Year and the CNN Heroes. I want to add another hero; a group who have gone unrecognized for Continue Reading »
Click above to listen to Cantor Hollis and Rabbi Danny’s welcome at the Wayland Interfaith Leaders Association (WILA) Interfaith Communal Thanksgiving Service!
I don’t remember much about the specifics of the Shabbat service that morning, what I do remember is that my phone kept vibrating in my pocket. While this has become more normal in our Covid world, this was 3 years ago, and so while a vibration or two might have been expected, this was way Continue Reading »
As a Jewish community the importance of a people’s connection to their land is at the center of our Torah, our sacred text, and so I am grateful to Andre for beginning today’s vigil with a land acknowledgement, recognizing his people’s connection to the land on which we are currently gathered. Thank you to all Continue Reading »
כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח מִכֶּם֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם הַגֵּ֣ר הַגָּ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֗ם וְאָהַבְתָּ֥ לוֹ֙ כָּמ֔וֹךָ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love them as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I Adonai am your God.” (Vayikra-Leviticus 19:34) We Continue Reading »