Rabbi Ammi Hirsch offers impressions from his two long days of jury duty: “There is no such thing as perfect justice. Everything human is filled with human imperfections. The entire justice system – and so many of the other central institutions of American life – are dependent upon the honor and integrity of the people within those institutions…”
“This Shabbat, we honor the historical memory of the Israelites singing on the shores of freedom, dancing with timbrel in hand, finding strength in being in the moment together,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “When we find each other in song – things become simple, even if only for a moment. What divides us is stripped away.”
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch takes a satirical look at antisemitism.
“Judaism challenges us to live in truth —to live with authenticity, integrity and moral responsibility,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “We need courage and strength to bring our sense of what is true to light, even when confronting those who seem not to be listening.”
“When we consider our way of life, the great American institutions of higher learning play a critical role. Conformity and groupthink portend the dangerous decline of liberalism and, with it, the imperilment of freedom itself,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Therefore, in a very real sense, the task of a university is to create safe spaces — but I don’t mean what most people mean nowadays…”
On this last Shabbat of 2023, we read about how Joseph came to terms with the treachery of his brothers. “Sometimes our negative experiences help prepare or propel us,” says Rabbi Dalia Samansky. And while “not every negative experience in our life leads to something better, being open to the possibility of growth from our struggles is to believe in hope.”