Sermon Examples
Click the links to view videos and written sermons
There is a Crack in Everything
Yom Kippur 2017
In this deeply personal Yom Kippur sermon, I reflect on brokenness—of tablets, of hearts, of lives—and the holiness that can dwell within it. Drawing on Torah, Talmud, Kabbalah, and Leonard Cohen, I share how my family’s struggles with illness taught me that to live fully is to hold the holy and the broken together. Through teshuvah, tefillah, and tzedakah, we learn to embrace our cracks—not as flaws to hide, but as openings through which light and love enter the world.
Living Jewishly is the Best Revenge
Yom Kippur 2023
After visiting Auschwitz and finding my family’s names in the Book of Names, I reflected on rising antisemitism and the resilience of Jewish life. Our best response to hate is to live Jewishly—with pride, courage, and joy.
Unconquerable Israel: The Blessing and Burden of Debate
In the months after October 7, I reflected on the challenge of leadership through the story of Moses—the reluctant leader called to guide a “stiff-necked” people. Drawing on Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s insight that Jews are both unconquerable and ungovernable, I spoke about what courageous leadership requires in a time of deep division. Leadership, I suggested, isn’t about echoing people’s opinions but about offering moral vision. Whether in Israel, our community, or the wider world, we need voices of courage, clarity, and compassion to lead us toward justice, security, and peace.
Parshat Nasso 2015
Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart
In this sermon, I reflect on what it means to be a healer—not by mending wounds, but by holding brokenness with compassion. The Torah’s story of the Sotah teaches that even God allows the divine name to be erased for the sake of peace, reminding me that true healing often requires humility, forgiveness, and the courage to see wholeness within our brokenness.
The Art of Gathering
Rosh Hashanah 2019
In this Rosh Hashanah sermon, I explore how Judaism’s timeless rhythm of mikraei kodesh—holy gatherings—can heal the loneliness and fragmentation of modern life. Drawing inspiration from Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, I suggest that Shabbat offers the ultimate model for purposeful, transformative connection: a weekly “temporary alternative world” where we put aside distractions, open our homes, and meet one another with intention, empathy, and joy. By reclaiming Shabbat as the heart of relational community, we can rediscover how to gather—and how to live—more deeply.
Abortion, Judaism, & Religious Liberty: A Response to Dobbs
The overturning Roe v. Wade endangers not only women’s autonomy but also America’s promise of religious freedom. Jewish tradition prioritizes the life and well-being of the mother, making reproductive choice a matter of faith and ethics—and no religion’s beliefs should be imposed by law.
Face to Face Community
Rosh Hashanah 2022
After two years of pandemic isolation, I set out to rebuild community one cup of coffee at a time. These conversations taught me that real connection happens panim-el-panim, when we truly see one another as reflections of the Divine. Reclaiming that sacred, in-person encounter is not only the antidote to loneliness, but also the key to healing a divided world.
Aaron Was Silent - Marking Six Months since October 7
This sermon is a reflection I gave about the hostages marking six months of war in Gaza. This sermon, which I gave without notes, is an example of my extemporaneous speaking style.
The Gift of Service - My Farewell Sermon at HEA, July 2024
In my final sermon at HEA, I shared gratitude for sixteen years of learning, love, and sacred work. Reflecting on turning fifty—my personal Yovel—I spoke about three enduring lessons: that life is an unearned gift, that it comes as a full package of blessing and struggle, and that we always retain the power to choose our response to chaos. Serving this congregation has been a profound privilege, a true avodat matanah—a gift of service—and I leave blessing our community to move forward with courage, compassion, and peace.