“He was a spectacular president – a position with little political power – but with the moral power to sway the hearts and minds of the people,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said of the late Shimon Peres. “Freed from the predatory politics of power, he became a unifying force that was the best possible face of Israel to itself and the world.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. A vibrant Reform congregation on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Stephen Wise has served as a catalyst for progressive Jewish thought, support for Israel, and committed social action in the local community and beyond for more than 100 years. Learn more at swfs.org.

Watch Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s inspiring Shabbat sermon on “Humility.”

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York. SWFS is a beacon of progressive Jewish thought, inclusive worship, and committed social action for our congregants, our neighbors, and the larger community. To learn more, visit swfs.org

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the existential restlessness that resides in each of us. “Learning to live is about learning to control our desire for desire. If we do not learn this skill, desire will overwhelm us.”