Congregation Shir Ami

The latest Torah teaching from R. David: "On Tyranny and Spiritual Response"

On Tyranny and Spiritual Response (P. Shemot) The Exodus story resounds through time as the first liberation narrative of Western civilization. It drives Jewish identity. It calls us into lives of empathy and social justice. It shaped...

Sometimes received religious traditions fail to hear the voice of suffering. Even worse, received traditions can suppress the voice of suffering. It happens because every religion, by definition, titrates high principle through inherently limited and flawed human capacity. What is our duty in response?

R. David's latest for Congregation Shir Ami.

Hearing the Unheard (P. Vayishlah) Sometimes received religious traditions fail to hear the voice of suffering. Even worse, received traditions can suppress the voice of suffering. It happens because every religion, by definition,...

As our Northern Hemisphere enters the weeks of fastest increasing daylight and we accelerate into the oncoming spring (not a moment too soon!), this week's Torah portion opens with a command to make eternal light.

The command aims at all of us, and the sudden absence of Moses underscores the message at this important moment.

– Rabbi David's latest for Shir Ami

Lights On! (P. Tetzaveh) As our Northern Hemisphere enters the weeks of fastest increasing daylight and we accelerate into the oncoming spring (not a moment too soon!), this week's Torah portion opens with a command to make...

This pas Friday, Shir Ami had a lovely Shabbat service welcoming our new members to the Shir Ami family.

There are times in life that rivet us on what's core and strip away the rest. In those moments, we can a tunnel of love and be transformed.

If we're purposeful, or lucky, we can experience these times long before our last time. We can experience Eckhart Tolle's secret to life: we can die before we die – so that we can live.

– my sermon for Kol Nidre 2024 (5785) for Congregation Shir Ami

The Tunnel of Love – Sermon for Kol Nidre 5785 (2024) There are times in life that rivet us on what's core and strip away the rest. In those moments, we can a tunnel of love and be transformed. If we're purposeful, or lucky, we can experience...