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Rabbinic Intern Kornsgold: Brotherly Reunion (December 31, 2022)
Enjoy this unique, discussion-based sermon by Rabbinic Intern Kornsgold, in which she explores themes of Joseph reuniting with his brothers with the congregation.
From 2:42 to 2:52, the video image pauses, with the audio proceeding as normal.
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Rabbi Zauzmer: Playing Dreidel – Not as Traditional as You Think (Dec 24, 2022)
The month of December brings ample opportunities for Jewish ritual as well as for assimilation. Rabbi Zauzmer explores the message of Hanukkah, the true story behind the dreidel, and the struggle to assimilate just enough to remain relevant.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: Kahane Lives (December 17, 2022)
How will we react to the seismic rightward shift in the Israeli government following last month’s election? Rabbi Cosgrove enjoins us that while our love and support of Israel must not waver, we must openly discuss our concerns for sake of the future unity of the Jewish people.
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Rabbi Zuckerman: The Weight of History (December 3, 2022)
Jacob and Esau present us with two perspectives of time. We descend down from Jacob which means we play the "long game" when understanding the Jewish story.
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Rabbinic Intern Kornsgold: A Rabbi's Purpose (November 26, 2022)
Rabbinic Intern Kornsgold delivers her rabbinical school senior sermon asking the question: What truly is the role of a darshan/speaker and a rabbi?
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Looking Back While Moving Forward
Throughout history, we have seen Jews and non-Jews leave their homes in a rush. Rabbi Zauzmer explores the story of Lot's wife and why she looked back when she left the sinful city of Sodom. Is it dangerous to look back on our past or can we gain something beneficial?
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Rabbi Cosgrove: Intermarriage Rising (November 19, 2022)
Given the fact of interfaith marriages, what is the role and responsibility of the rabbi and the synagogue? Rabbi Cosgrove enjoins interfaith couples to learn about Judaism together and to take responsibility for their Jewish future.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: Kanye and Kyrie (November 5, 2022)
Why should we care about the antisemitic tweets from Kanye, Kyrie, and others? Rabbi Cosgrove explains that hate-filled rhetoric always leads to violence and calls on us to fight antisemitism by every means we have available.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Would've, Could've, Should've (October 29, 2022)
Is it good to regret? The Hebrew word naham can mean to regret, to repent, and also to comfort. Rabbi Cosgrove explains how the relationship between these apparently contradictory meanings allows us to learn and to benefit from our mistakes.
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Rabbi Zuckerman: The Pleasure of Walks With No Destination (October 22, 2022)
Enjoy this most recent sermon from Rabbi Zuckerman, which he shared live before PAS this past Shabbat.
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Rabbi Zuckerman: The Holiday About "Nothing" (October 15, 2022)
Enjoy this most recent sermon from Rabbi Zuckerman, which he shared live before PAS this past Shabbat.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: Kissinger on Moses (October 8, 2022)
Drawing parallels between Moses and successful modern leaders, Rabbi Cosgrove finds that Moses exemplifies all the qualities of a great leader, especially the ultimate measure of success: that one’s values endure far beyond one’s own lifetime.
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Rabbi Zauzmer: Lessons of Come From Away (October 1, 2022)
On the closing weekend of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away, Rabbi Zauzmer discusses lessons we can learn from the true story about what it means to gather by necessity and to gather by choice.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: These Truths We Hold Dear (September 17, 2022)
What stories do we tell ourselves? What elements do we choose to include – or exclude? In this service from Selichot, Rabbi Cosgrove explores the role we play in constructing our narratives, our history, and ultimately, our truth.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: Lost and Found (September 10, 2022)
Rabbi Cosgrove suggests that while the Torah lists detailed rules for returning lost property, the deeper meaning of this concern may be about repairing lost relationships and restoring our souls.
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Rabbi Zauzmer: Choosing to be Chosen (August 27, 2022)
As we enter the month of Elul and approach the High Holidays, we must uncover what each one of us is chosen for, so we can choose to be chosen. Rabbi Zauzmer explores what it means to be the chosen people.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Keeping Pace (June 11, 2022)
Graduation season reminds us that time moves forward inexorably. Rabbi Cosgrove teaches that even though it is human nature to resist change, we live best when we move forward with openness to becoming our best selves in whatever circumstances the future brings.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Rights and Obligations (June 4, 2022)
The story of Ruth, read on Shavuot, demonstrates the value of putting others’ needs above our own. Rabbi Cosgrove reminds us that our Jewish tradition teaches that we are not free to do whatever we please, but that living in society requires us to accept limits on our freedom.
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Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky: Do Not Wrong One Another (May 21, 2022)
What can the Torah teach us about facing the horrors and hatred we see in Buffalo and the world around us? Rabbi Witkovsky explores the injunction in Leviticus, “Do not wrong one another,” and implores us to stand up against hate wherever it is found.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Holy Living (May 7, 2022)
What defines a life of k’dushah, of holiness? Responding to that ages-old question, Rabbi Cosgrove finds that a life of holiness includes both observance of ritual detail and commitment to ethical behavior, pride in the distinctions that set Jews apart and responsibility to all humanity.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: Holocaust Memory (April 30, 2022)
How shall we remember the Holocaust? Rabbi Cosgrove teaches us both the pitfalls of remembrance and that memory should inspire us to live meaningful Jewish lives and to respond compassionately to present-day suffering of others.
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Rabbi Witkovsky: Remembering Others and Centering Ourselves (April 23, 2022)
The Passover seder asks us to not only think of the lives of our ancestors in Egypt, but to see ourselves “as if” we were there. So too when we recall the loved ones we have lost: We can think of them and their lives, reflecting on what they taught us and left for us. Rabbi Witkovsky introduces Y...
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove: To Sign or Not to Sign (April 16, 2022)
How do we show our loyalty to the Jewish state? Rabbi Cosgrove explores the reasons to sign or not to sign a recent rabbinic letter regarding the question of funding right-wing Israeli organizations.
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Rabbi Cosgrove: The Pipeline Problem (April 2, 2022)
The future of the Jewish community is threatened by a shortage of clergy, with not enough people choosing to become rabbis and too few rabbis choosing to serve congregations. We all have a role in addressing this pipeline problem.