I stand before you as a white male rabbi. As a rabbi, I could speak about the Jewish laws that not only permit but may even require an abortion if a woman’s life is in danger. (Mishneh Oholot 7:6) Whether she is in physical, mental or economic danger, in Judaism the fetus becomes a rodef,…
Author: swimfast
I Will Bereave You
Two weeks ago I gave an impassioned sermon about the right to be who we want to be, to love who we want to love, and to have autonomy over our bodies. I felt sad afterward. These aren’t the sermons I want to give. I want to stand on the bima and tell you it…
The Jewish Family
We are a family that welcomes everyone who wants to proudly participate with us in spreading love, meaning and purpose to those who so choose.
We Will Long Endure
For now we place our trust in ourselves, through vigilance and action. We remember every time we blot out Amalek’s name that we are still here. We are still here and the Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Spanish Monarchy, Nazis, are no more. We blot out their memory but we never forget that we endured and will continue to endure and thrive.
The Arithmetic of Failure
Since the pandemic began, we have been a society fixated on numbers. First we were concerned about the raw numbers of people getting sick, and then hospitalized, and then those who have died from COVID. Looking at individual numbers are important for each of these represents a soul who has become sick, a person who…
The Breath of the Etrog
Today the sukkah reminds us of the fragility inherent in life. It is intended to be susceptible to the forces of nature, not to protect or separate us from them as we do with our permanent houses, but to remind us that we, too, are part of creation.
Choose Life, Choose Love
Jewish views on abortion and denunciations.
It’s OK Not To Be OK
It can be hard for us to admit that we are not OK. It can be harder still for us to admit that its OK not to be OK. And it can be even more difficult to seek help.
The Power of Community
“The essence of the minyan is the reciprocity of the social contract – the shared obligation that binds all ten individuals to one another, transforming them from a number of individuals into a community.”
Our modern minyan causes us to create more than a congregation, it helps us to form community
Let’s Eat Cantor!
Just like the Rambam teaches us to find layers of meaning in our unvocalized Torah, I pray that one day we too will find layers of meaning in our unvocalized year. Layers of grief, sadness and despair, combined with layers of love, perseverance, and triumph, layers of leadership, science, and wisdom, and, I pray, layers of hope.
Rabbi Brian Immerman 