Recent Sermons
Jews, Power & Politics – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – February 22, 2019
Shalom Chaverim, I want to pick up on last week’s letter discussing antisemitism. Let me be clear from the outset: I am not suggesting that the Jews of America are in the precarious position of the Jews of Shushan. What interests me this week is the nexus of Jews, power and politics. Antisemitism in Esther takes place at the entrance to Shushan’s palace. There, all...
read moreW.H.D. – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – February 8, 2019
Shalom Chaverim Earlier this week was World Hijab Day (WHD). To tell the truth, I had never heard of this before though it has been around since 2013. On our recent Israel trip, we marked our own Hijab Day when we visited an Israeli-Arab town just outside of Jerusalem. When we toured the mosque, the women in our group were asked to don a hijab....
read moreWomen in the Lead – A Weekly Letter from Rabbi Davis – January 25, 2019
Shalom Chaverim, On my recent trip to Israel, I met a number of accomplished, impressive and inspiring women. On our first day in Yafo, I met Golda Meir, Israel’s first and only female Prime Minister to date. In Caesarea, I met Hannah Szenes, the poet and paratrooper who gave her life to save Hungarian Jews. One of the most interesting contemporary women we met was...
read moreWorth Their Weight In Gold? – A Weekly Letter from Rabbi Davis – January 18, 2019
Shalom Chaverim My favorite place in Israel is Jerusalem’s farmer’s market, Machaneh Yehudah. On my recent trip, I enjoyed strolling past the bustling stalls, taking in smells of fresh pita and baked goods, the site of fresh produce and the taste of chalva being sampled in the isles. Unfortunately, I was so caught up in the experience that I didn’t pay attention to my wallet....
read moreA Treasure Beneath Your Feet – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – January 11, 2019
Shalom Chaverim, On our recent trip to Israel, we had a few days of rain. Israel needs the rain, so we couldn’t be too upset that it forced us to alter some of our plans. What for us was a minor inconvenience, was a blessing to farmers… and archaeologists! While we were in Israel, a woman was out taking a walk and stumbled over two...
read moreZionism’s Infinite Ideal
Zionism’s Infinite Ideal Vayera 28 Tevet 5779 | January 5, 2018 Rabbi Alexander Davis History. Family. Connection. Conflict. I added Tarbut, culture. As we went around the circle, each person shared one word that for them captured the meaning of Israel. It was the opening night of our family tour to Israel. 39 of us traveled to the Holy Land, some for the first time...
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