October 25, 2024

“The contrast between our high self-image and the base evil we are capable of has long baffled and intrigued the greatest minds of our species,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. The Psalmist praised the human creature as “little lower than angels,” but our actions hardly justify this honor. As the presidential elections approach, Rabbi Hirsch reminds us: “we are not destined for evil. We have the ability to choose…”

October 12, 2024

On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shared the range of emotions experienced by Jews since October 7, 2023, including anger, love, sorrow, mutual responsibility and determination to recover. Addressing young adults directly, he urged them to stay committed to Israel and the Jewish people: “I love your generation. You are our future. Know that we tried to instill in you a sense of justice, virtue, honor and decency for all people, and if this leads you to be critics of Israel, so be it. At the same time, we wanted you to be Zionists. Direct your eyes and heart towards our people. If they rejoice, rejoice with them. If they suffer, suffer with them. Mourn with them. Support them. Help them.”

October 11, 2024

“What is the most important verse in the Bible?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur. “You have all these grand ethical principles: monotheism, equality, justice, humanity, mercy, loving-kindness, freedom — and one of our Sages pulls out an obscure verse that seemingly means nothing…”

October 3, 2024

“For Jews, our deepest anxieties for the safety of our people — the product of centuries of repressed traumas — have reawakened and our confidence in the West’s ability to withstand the test of civilization has been shaken,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah, warning that what was unleashed against Israel on October 7th “threatens the West as much as it does the Middle East…”

✡️ On the seriousness and resurgence of antisemitism:

“One of the saddest developments since October 7 is the shock experienced by American Jews, who, for the first time in their lives, are encountering pervasive antisemitism…”

🇮🇱 On today’s manifestations of anti-Zionism:
“…the intent of anti-Zionism is to generate intense hostility to Judaism and Jews themselves… How easily do anti-Israel passions lead to violence against Jews and Jewish institutions…”

“If you understand the history of classic antisemitism, the connection to today’s anti-Zionism stares you in the face. The Jewish state has become the Jew of the world, humanity’s ultimate villains, and accused of our era’s worst transgressions..”

🗽 On post-October 7 society and the test of Western civilization:

“For years now, some of us have been warning of a deteriorating commitment to liberal values, camouflaged by a torrent of high-sounding words like ‘progress, civil and human rights, anti-racism, and anti-colonialism.’ Ideologies that divide people by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character; philosophies that reduce all human conflict to oppressor and oppressed, subjugation and freedom fighting, racists and anti-racists — are not liberal values… These are illiberal and dangerous ideas that threaten the future of our country and Western civilization.”

💪 What can we do?

“Recognize the urgency of the times. We must win this battle of ideas and reassert basic norms of Western liberal morality. Do not be in denial. Do not be complacent. Fight back… fight back hard.”

October 3, 2024

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch opens the Rosh Hashanah evening services with a message of resilience: “There is a stone slab in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It was carved around the year 1,200 BCE and stands 10 feet tall. Its purpose was to praise the military victories of the Pharaoh Merneptah. What did the king say about us? What were the first words ever written about the Jewish people? At the bottom of the slab recording the deeds of the ‘lord of strength, whose name is given to eternity,’ as Merneptah described himself, he writes: ‘Israel is laid waste, its seed is destroyed.’ Stay strong and keep the faith — we ain’t goin’ nowhere!”

September 13, 2024

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the unsettling feeling that world events are driving history. Yet he reminds us of Judaism’s central plea: You must not remain indifferent. “Compassion is not enough,” he says. “It needs to be translated into deeds. While we cannot change the world by ourselves, we can do something every day that makes one life better.”

September 6, 2024

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch shares his grief over the crushing loss of the six Israeli hostages and prays for the speedy return of the hostages still alive in captivity.

June 7, 2024

“Have you been following the emergence of what may be as many as a trillion cicadas throughout the Midwest and Southeast?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. Maybe not. “New Yorkers don’t really commune with nature,” he says. But this year — the first time in 221 years that two cicada broods will rise from the earth simultaneously — perhaps we can learn something from these humble insects…

May 29, 2024

“This is an existential moment, not only for Israel, but for us in North America. We are in the midst of a great ideological struggle, the outcome of which will determine whether liberal Judaism will thrive in the diaspora, or will fracture and shatter into a thousand pieces,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch at the opening of Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism, a two-day conference gathering some 300 Reform clergy, educators and lay leaders at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Hirsch spoke about the Reform movement’s need for a strategy to instill Zionism and love of Jewish peoplehood in the next generation, the ordination of Zionist Reform clergy, and our response to social justice partnerships that clash with our Jewish values.

May 3, 2024

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch has been warning for years that America’s campuses have been devolving into hotbeds of radical and illiberal theories. “The reason that the protests have descended into outrageous anti-Zionism and antisemitism is that the Palestinian cause is suffused with anti-Zionism and antisemitism,” he says. “The only way to get this country out of the mess it is in — and the only way to protect the Jewish community — is for you to get more involved…”

April 26, 2024

“Our Sages teach: ‘Fire does not ignite in a lone stick of wood, but in a pile of kindling.’ American campuses have been drying up for a long time,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Some saw the early signs, but how do you persuade people of the coming climate catastrophe if the changes are incremental? It is not too late to reverse this campus climate catastrophe — but it is late…”

April 14, 2024

After a scary night that saw 300 missiles and attack drones launched at Israel by the Iranian regime, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch delivers a message to the congregation and a prayer for peace in Jerusalem.

April 12, 2024

On our recent mission to Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch scheduled time for our congregation to pick strawberries. But he didn’t expect that morning to be among the most moving of his experiences in Israel. Looking at the half-rotten harvest, he reflected on the global explosion of Jew-hatred, the plight of the hostages, the corruption of Western values — and walked away hopeful for the future…

April 7, 2024

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at New York City’s historic 116-year-old Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and one of America’s foremost Reform Zionist leaders, delivered remarks at a rally on April 7, 2024, marking the six-month mark in captivity for Israeli hostages in Gaza.

March 15, 2024

“In many ways it is still October 7th. Time froze,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, offering his perspective of where we are five months later, on the Shabbat before embarking for Israel with our synagogue’s mission. “The road ahead will be difficult and painful… my message to you is: keep the faith.”

February 23, 2024

In this week’s parashah, we read about “the eternal flame” — the lamp that burned continuously in the Tabernacle. “The light of the eternal flame, according to our Sages, is what we would call today ‘enlightenment’ — moral education,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Those who do not think deeply about morality stumble in darkness. Enlightenment requires moral discipline — always, every day, all the time.”

February 2, 2024

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…”

January 19, 2024

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch takes a satirical look at antisemitism.

January 5, 2024

“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…”

December 8, 2023

“God’s first act was the creation of light, but human corruption restricts our vision, diminishing the radiance of existence,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Our task is to recapture that light. This is the message of Hanukkah: bringing light to a dark world; sustaining hope for humanity.”

November 10, 2023

“There is a three-year-old girl named Avigail in the Gaza dungeons. Whenever I think of her, I am devastated,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “How did it come to this — this visceral rage on campus and in the streets of America that seems impenetrable to reason?” he asks. “It has been germinating for a long time — fed by extremist ideas, nourished by radical teachers, and tolerated by cowardly administrators…”

October 20, 2023

Reflecting on the massacre of over 1,400 Israelis by Hamas, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch wonders: “What culture, what mindset, what belief system produces — or condones — such brutality?” This week’s parashah describes the flood that wiped out humanity, he says. But, like Noah, “even when the world is awash in immorality, it is still possible to be righteous…”

October 13, 2023

A week after Hamas massacred more than 1,000 Israeli civilians, “we gather for Shabbat on the day that Hamas has termed ‘A Day of Rage,’” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “These rally-goers are not supporting peace. They are not supporting Palestinian rights. They are supporting a Nazi philosophy of exterminating Jews.” So what can we do? “Show up,” he says. “Hold everyone accountable. Insist on moral clarity…”

October 11, 2023

At a gathering mourning the surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and expressing solidarity with Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch said: “We saw in vivid reality what a pogrom looks like… Make no mistake: Israeli civilians were massacred because they were Jews. They massacred whole families. They slaughtered babies. They raped young women… and they ask why there is no peace? The days of murdering and massacring Jews with impunity are over… Israel will prevail. Am Yisrael chai!”

September 25, 2023

Fifty years after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reflects on his experience as a 14-year-old new Israeli immigrant and the Jewish state’s brilliant successes and unresolved disappointments over the intervening decades. But “there is something about the Jews that makes it difficult for us to live together,” he says of the ongoing civil discord in Israel. “For our own self-dignity, we will continue to voice our clear and unreserved moral resistance to extreme elements of the Israeli government.”

September 24, 2023

An encounter with a very non-New York couple leaves a lasting impression on Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “They reminded me of the basic truth of our tradition: that a wise person learns from everyone,” he says. “Morality, the very soul of religion, is a feeling, the result of friendship and companionship.” As we begin 5784, Rabbi Hirsch says: “May you be tolerant of all people, assuming the best in them, judging them favorably, and giving them the benefit of the doubt…”

September 16, 2023

From the summit of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest high in the Bavarian Alps, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch gazed upon now-tranquil Europe and reflected: “The brilliant Jewish intellectuals who helped create and define the Western European golden age and put their faith in the enduring ascent of humanity were unequipped to truly comprehend the ruthlessly evil.” It didn’t have to happen that way, he says. “History is not inevitable.” That depravity “was the result of human will and conscious decisions. We can make a difference. Tomorrow hasn’t happened yet…”

May 31, 2023

“I fear that we are losing the soul of the Reform movement,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch at the opening of Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism, a two-day conference gathering more than 300 Reform clergy, educators and lay leaders at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Hirsch spoke about the three ideological pillars on which the movement’s future rests: commitment to Zionism, balancing universal and particular values, and elevating ritual and religious practice. “Sooner or later we will have to attend to the growing fissures in the movement,” he said. “Otherwise, the rifts that emerged between the anti-peoplehood, anti-Zionist Reform Jews of the first half of the 20th century, and the Zionists who were committed to Jewish particularism, will reopen with devastating consequences for 21st-century Reform synagogues.”

May 12, 2023

Leviticus spells out what may happen if we act unjustly — in shocking detail, says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. And with disconcerting prescience, it predicts the survivors “shall stumble over one another as if they were fleeing the sword – but there is no pursuer.” As Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently said: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny.” If you like what you’ve been seeing, pick up a copy of Rabbi Hirsch’s new book — available now at swfs.org/book.

April 20, 2023

“We’ve made it to 75!” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Israel’s 75th Independence Day. “The Jewish state is our supreme accomplishment and the demographic center of the Jewish world. It has injected the Jewish people back into history. As challenging as these days are, history has proven that it is far better for our people to struggle with power than to face the trials of powerlessness alone…”

March 31, 2023

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch struggles to understand how his dental plan could deny his claim. “Try putting yourself in another’s shoes — or the dentist’s chair,” he suggests.

March 17, 2023

“This will be the most painful sermon of my career,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch as he addresses the crisis in Israel. “Something fundamental is at stake. It is not only the role of the courts and the proper balance of power. What this struggle is really about is: what do we mean when we proclaim Israel to be both Jewish and democratic?”

March 3, 2023

“The purpose of the Tabernacle was to promote the high and noble ideal of God,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But the Torah focuses on the minute details of its construction. Yet one of history’s leading rabbis claimed that this week’s Torah portion contains Judaism’s central verse…

February 24, 2023

Israeli archaeologists recently made a remarkable find: textile scraps containing the brilliant color of purple mentioned in this week’s parashah. “Imagine being invited to Solomon’s court and peeking into his wardrobe,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “You would have seen dozens of garments and robes streaked with the same royal purple discovered at Timna.”

February 3, 2023

The crossing at the Red Sea was the moment everything changed. “Every Jew must consider themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, recalling our synagogue’s humanitarian work. “We must consider the dispossessed — the refugee fleeing war, who shows up on our doorstep with nothing but the clothes on his back and the scars in her heart — as worthy as we are and equal in the sight of God.”

January 20, 2023

“Congressman George Santos is young and articulate, has an amazing resume — and is a proud American Jew. There’s just one problem: none of it is true…” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “The curious case of George Santos says a lot about the state of our country — and the state of our country’s Jews.”

December 9, 2022

Prompted by this melancholy season to ponder the passage of time, our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shares a connection that Jewish tradition draws between Jacob and Hanukkah. “We never know how our actions — or inaction will dramatically impact on generations to come…”

November 18, 2022

“I have never shied away from engaging the political process,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on the recent elections in the U.S. and Israel. Pointing out the need to constantly cultivate democracy and guard against the dangers of extremism, he explained: “I view my role as holding politicians morally accountable for the support and promotion of rhetoric and policies that impact upon millions of people.”

October 28, 2022

This week’s parashah describes the construction of the Tower of Babel, and the scattering of all the peoples of the earth. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch presents differing interpretations of the tower builders’ transgression and the contemporary significance for our times. 

October 14, 2022

In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, God swore to destroy the Israelites. “It was Moses alone who saved them,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Leadership is about taking responsibility for others. When you go to vote, look into the souls of the candidates. Will they be there for us when we truly need them?”

October 5, 2022

“The willingness to be different is integral to Judaism,” reflects Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Yom Kippur. “Our different historical experiences led to our unique sensitivity to injustice and cruelty and gave us our deep appreciation of social repair and freedom.”

October 4, 2022

“What can one person do to impact on the many challenges facing our world?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur, reflecting on the war in Ukraine and our synagogue’s humanitarian mission. “We overcome despair by countering despair — one day at a time, one place at a time, one person at a time… We defeat helplessness by helping.”

September 26, 2022

On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch addresses the proliferation of antisemitism on college campuses across America: “Antisemitism — even when it calls itself anti-Zionism — is a stain on the academies of higher learning and a stain on the Western liberal tradition.”

June 24, 2022

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch consoled: “To live in a democracy is to be defeated often. The pendulum swings from victory to loss to victory again.” But, he continues: “Everything we receive from Jewish tradition pleads with us: Do not turn your back on the political process. Get more involved.”

June 17, 2022

Welcoming elite officers from the Israel National Defense College, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussed the importance of supporting Israel amid “the steadily rising temperature of Jew-hatred.” He said: “Israel has restored the freedom, the collective dignity, the respect and self-respect — the wellbeing — of the Jewish people. Our guests tonight protect all of us, including those who may be among their harshest critics.”

May 27, 2022

“The fundamental religious principle is the sanctity of life,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every other religious principle flows from this foundational truth. No right is absolute. Your right to purchase firearms must be balanced with my right to life and safety. The massacre in Uvalde, Texas is yet another sign that our national health is deteriorating.”

May 9, 2022

Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his expert guests discuss everything from race and antisemitism to all the other issues that keep you up at night. Recorded from New York’s Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a historic Reform congregation deeply rooted in liberalism, support for Israel and social justice.

April 22, 2022

On the eve of our mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about why it’s so important to bear witness and bring immediate material and emotional support. “I hope that those of us who take this journey will return better human beings — and better Jews,” he said.

April 8, 2022

“Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine should be a clarifying moment for Jews, but also for the Western world,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in the wake of yet another terrorist attack in Israel. “The yearning for peace must rest on the willingness to defend yourself. We will always support Israel’s right — and moral obligation — to self-defense.”

April 1, 2022

“For weeks, we’ve watched the Russian military mauling millions of innocent civilians. I am inexpressibly frustrated by simply watching,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “For this reason, our president Steven Silverstein and I will be leading a humanitarian mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border in the last week of April. And I want you to come with us.”

February 25, 2022

“We thought that the days of authoritarian strongmen bestriding the narrow world like a Colossus were over,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch as Russian troops bore down on Ukraine’s capital. “Now we are engaged again in a renewed test of wills between the democratic West and the non-democracies. I wish it weren’t so, but there is a price that must be paid to preserve liberty.”

February 18, 2022

“Passions have been ignited because Hellen Mirren will play Golda Meir in an upcoming movie. If a gentile cannot play a Jew, can a Jew play a gentile?” asks Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “This all started with the recognition that there is bias in casting, but we’ve gone off the rails. We’re sliding down a slippery slope of secular apostasy — the betrayal of liberalism and Western values.”

February 4, 2022

“Whoopi Goldberg said some truly offensive and ignorant things, but she apologized immediately and sincerely,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Repentance, forgiveness and atonement are central concepts in Judaism. And this was a rare opportunity for a profound teaching moment about antisemitism and the Jewish experience.”

January 21, 2022

“Why a synagogue? Why Jews?” asks Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in the wake of the standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. “To fight effectively against antisemitism, it is not enough to condemn the individual antisemitic act — as welcome and as necessary as that is. We must also take on the toxic ideology that poisons the hearts and racializes the minds of so many.”

January 7, 2022

“Trying to figure out what the world will look like tomorrow — let alone three months from now — is a monumental and deeply frustrating and draining task,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “We are creatures who yearn for control over an uncontrollable world. But the most certain thing in the world is uncertainty — and, therefore, the Sages say, “teach your tongue to say ‘I don’t know.’”

December 17, 2021

“Rabbi Ammi Hirsch’s special holiday homily.”

December 10, 2021

“We take for granted so much about life. Most of us do not give a passing thought to deprivation. Practically none of us thinks about whether we can put food on the table today,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. Instead, with the looming cream cheese shortage in New York City, he advises, “If you go to the deli next week and there is no cream cheese – try butter on your bagel.”

December 3, 2021

“Here we are again: another vile, virulent, vexing variant,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. In this week’s parasha, “Joseph didn’t ask, ‘Why did God create pestilence?’ He figured out how to improve and ultimately escape his own sorry predicament — and preserve the food of Egypt. In the words of Ecclesiastes: ‘Whatever is in your power to do, do it with all your might.’”

November 19, 2021

“Last week, The New York Times Magazine reported on ‘The Unraveling of American Zionism,’” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Our Reform institutions have an opportunity — and an obligation — to state what it is we do believe: that the Reform movement is a Zionist movement, theologically committed to the centrality of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.”

October 29, 2021

“There are two models of succession portrayed in the Torah and haftarah portions of the week,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Abraham took his time and built his succession plan carefully. But David’s was done in a hurry, at the last moments of his life. It was only Abraham — not David — whose death is described as serene.”

October 22, 2021

“Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is an outgrowth and an expression of Judaism itself,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “But sometimes it seems to be the only value Reform Jews emphasize. All of us must do deeds and speak words not only of universal values, but also of Klal Yisrael — the principle of the centrality of the Jewish people.”

October 15, 2021

“At some point, everyone reaches an age when they hand over the fight to the next generation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. Which makes Abraham’s story in this week’s parasha all the more profound: “He is 75 years old when God calls him to a new mission… You can change the world. You can make a difference — as long as you are still willing to fight.”

September 24, 2021

On our most joyous festival, “Jewish tradition encourages us to study the Book of Ecclesiastes, who writes, “Everything is futile: utter futility,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. He asks: “Why, of all books, did the Sages assign Ecclesiastes on Sukkot?”

September 16, 2021

“What is going on in our schools? The task of the best educational institutions is not to tell students what to think, but to give them the tools how to think,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Yom Kippur. “A liberal can never be so certain and dogmatic about the application of general moral truths to real-world dilemmas. We need our best teachers to guide us on the right path.”

September 15, 2021

“Were the Ten Lost Tribes truly lost, or were they destroyed?” wonders Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur. “For some, exile is coerced. Others just drift away from our people until there is no return. As long as you can still hear the roaring river of Judaism, it is not too late. If you want to be found, we will find you.”

September 7, 2021

“If there is one lesson to absorb from the Holocaust, it is that when someone proclaims an intention to exterminate the Jews, believe them,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, recalling a harrowing story from Auschwitz this Rosh Hashanah. “The ideology of antisemitism focuses not on the Jewish person, but on the Jewish people; this is why it is so dangerous.”

June 18, 2021

Welcoming officers from the Israel National Defense College for a special Kabbalat Shabbat, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about the miracle of Israel’s existence. “Zionism is about empowerment: to rewrite the Jewish story in the annals of history — not as a victim, but as a proactive agent of progress and social repair. Wielding power is fraught with the potential for abuse, but Jewish history proves emphatically that it is far better to have power and struggle with the moral dilemmas of wielding it, than to be powerless.”

June 11, 2021

“In this week’s Torah portion, Moses endured yet another rebellion. Challenge Moses all you want, but it’s hard to comprehend the constant refrain of ‘Let’s go back to Egypt,’” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The unknown is scary — so sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that the certainty of the past is better than the uncertainty of the future.”

June 4, 2021

Commenting on the Torah portion, wherein 10 of the 12 tribal leaders sowed panic in the community, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch emphasized: “At first the scouts spoke the truth. Master liars do not make everything up. They seize on an element that is true and concoct a false narrative that hangs the truth on a slender thread — in effect, distorting truth into The Big Lie.”

May 21, 2021

“We are witnessing the fracturing of liberal Judaism along the same fissures as a century ago – our sense of Jewish identity,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Do we belong to the Jewish people? Are we rooted in Jewish peoplehood – and from there pursue universal values — or are we Kantian universalists who happen to pray in Hebrew?”

May 14, 2021

“I mourn the loss of life already inflicted, and lament the many further tragedies that will befall both Israelis and Palestinians in the days ahead,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every one of the 2,000 missiles fired from Gaza is a war crime. No country in the world would — or should — tolerate indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Our synagogue will continue to stand by Israel — not uncritically, but unconditionally — upholding our Jewish responsibilities of mutual support and protection.”

May 7, 2021

“This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most profound passages in the history of civilization,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch: “‘You shall proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.’”

April 23, 2021

“It is gratifying that justice was served, but it is not full justice. Nothing can restore what was taken,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The most important result of the brutality inflicted on George Floyd is that it encourages a national reckoning and renewed appreciation that there is still so much work to do. Progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It must be fought for.”

April 9, 2021

“Passover reflects and embodies the idea of liberation, while Shavuot reflects and embodies the idea of responsibility. The festivals are inseparable,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every day of counting the Omer is a reminder that the point of the Exodus was not simply to get to the other side, but rather to seal the blessings of liberty through the cement of law and social responsibility.”

March 19, 2021

“Discoveries related to our ancestors reduce me to mushy emotional slop,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch following new archeological findings in Israel this week. “To look at these ancient Jewish artifacts is to appreciate that we are not alone. We are who we are because they were who they were.”

March 5, 2021

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch praised Israel’s Supreme Court for its landmark ruling this week requiring that people who converted to Judaism in Israel under the auspices of Reform and Conservative rabbis be recognized as Jews and eligible for citizenship under the Law of Return — and warned of the ferocious political battles to come.

February 26, 2021

“The Bible offers two models of salvation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, “the Exodus and Purim. Judaism’s approach to history assumes that as the eras unfold divine intervention becomes less prominent and human deeds become more prominent.”

February 19, 2021

“Few know that a full third of the Book of Exodus is about the minute details of building the Tabernacle,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “I think that it is to teach us that the grandest human accomplishments are the result of the smallest daily decisions. One ordinary thing after another — enough of them in the right places on the canvas of life — may produce a masterpiece.”

February 12, 2021

“To stand against the crowd requires courage,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflecting on the impeachment trial and this week’s parasha. “Moral courage is the human ingredient that is most difficult to bring out of ourselves. That’s why when we see it, we are so uplifted and inspired.”

February 5, 2021

“Few of us take the commandment mandating Shabbat observance seriously or even realize that it’s one of the Ten Commandments,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Freeing up time is why God gave us Shabbat. Use it to contemplate the infinity of time and our own fragile existence — and then go out and help others who have it worse.”

January 29, 2021

Soon after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Throughout the battle, “Moses raised his hands and kept them steady until sunset — so the people would see their leader and gain strength,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “But the only way Moses could keep his arms up was through the support of other people. We cannot prevail over life’s challenges alone. We must do it together.”

January 22, 2021

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the stress of the past four years and his emotional reaction to the inauguration of President Joe Biden. “As I watched, I felt the heaviness lifting. The sadness began to ease. My emotions were relief, joy and hope — hope that we can restore what was lost.”

January 15, 2021

In this week’s parasha, the Torah says that a frog — written in the singular — started the surge that covered Egypt. Rabbis Elazar and Akiva argue: were the other frogs already there, waiting to be called, or did one create the rest? “Either way, millions of frogs came,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. And the rabbis agree that, for better or worse, “one person has the power to motivate millions.”

January 8, 2021

“Democracy is hard. It requires constant and loving cultivation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “May it be that one day we will look back upon these days and conclude that the last four years were an aberration: that this is not who we are or want to be — that we are better than this.”

January 1, 2021

“It is not for human beings to predict the future. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on New Year’s Day. “Jewish tradition is emphatic: the future is not some static immovable state of affairs. So act as if you can make a difference — and never lose hope.”

December 25, 2020

“I love when Christmas falls on Shabbat,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It gives me an opportunity to remind myself that Judaism is both universal and particular: that we unite with the world in fellowship — one human family. And still, we are a distinctive family.”

December 18, 2020

In this week’s parasha, we learn that “not only does Joseph constantly dream big dreams, he also has a unique capacity to interpret dreams,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The Talmud contains this amazing thought: ‘Dreams are fulfilled according to their interpretation.’ The best dreams of all are those we interpret not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others.”

December 11, 2020

This week’s parasha reminds us that it can all change in the blink of an eye, says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “As you gaze into the lights of the menorah, feel the hope of renewal: that even in the darkest days, the earth will fill with light again.”

December 4, 2020

“Sometimes, prevailing is just enduring,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “That is the key lesson of this week’s Torah portion.” When wrestling with his unknown assailant, “Jacob does not relent, hoping that he can hold on long enough for the night to recede. The end of the pandemic is finally in sight. This is precisely the time to hold on more fiercely than ever.”

November 27, 2020

“Have you given thanks this week?” asks Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It’s challenging to express gratitude when we are enduring hardship. Take some time this Thanksgiving weekend just to be thankful. Consider the misery in this country… and be grateful, not only for what you have received, but also for what you’ve been spared.”

November 13, 2020

In this week’s parashah, Abraham’s trusted servant devises a test to find a wife for Isaac. “Once Eliezer saw Rebecca, he relaxed his standards,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “He realized that by setting the bar unrealistically high, people will disappoint you time after time. Especially in these trying times, try to be a little more patient.”

November 13, 2020

Mourning the passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z’’l, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said: “Blessed with dazzling brilliance, Rabbi Sacks helped millions answer life’s central questions and dilemmas. And in so doing, he bestowed incomparable honor on Judaism and the Jewish people.”

November 6, 2020

“As the Trump presidency ends we must work to strengthen the institutions of democracy,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It turns out that the protecting walls of American democracy are more fragile than we imagined. In the coming years, we should seek to restore trust between the polarized segments of American society — fighting, when necessary, but compromising when possible.”

October 30, 2020

“I am deeply worried about our country,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on the Shabbat before Election Day. “The American experiment rests on two central propositions that are under withering assault: the right to vote, and the peaceful transfer of power. On this last Shabbat before our fateful choice, we pray for the peace of our nation.”

October 16, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch wades into the controversy surrounding the casting of Gal Gadot as Cleopatra that’s been roiling the Twitterverse: “Why shouldn’t an Israeli portray an ancient Middle Eastern queen? The subtlety and power of art are being lost in the maelstrom of rage and political correctness that is contemporary cancel culture.”

October 9, 2020

I love Simchat Torah at Stephen Wise. Our celebrations are different this year: we won’t be outside and we won’t even do hakafot inside the sanctuary,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “I hope that we remember this year for our success at adapting and rejoicing in Torah — even when it was hard.

September 28, 2020

“The increasing tendency in 21st-century America to affirm one acceptable answer is profoundly illiberal, even if it comes from the Left,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Yom Kippur. “For years we have allowed the foundations of liberal democracy to crumble. We must be willing to fight — and reject extremism on all sides.”

September 27, 2020

“On this Day of Atonement, we sense our human vulnerability as never before,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Remain steadfast. Even now, in the dimness of the cave — at this, the most isolated, dark and lonely time of our lives, keep the faith. You will see the sun again.”

September 19, 2020

On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delivered a message of hope and moral clarity: “We will never surmount the racial breach in our country without a willingness to step into and repair it. Judaism commands us to take sides. Stand on the right side of history, on the side of freedom, fairness and dignity. For these reasons, I state proudly and without reservation that Black lives matter.”

September 19, 2020

“Justice was her first name,” said our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah, mourning the death yesterday of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “How fortunate to be able to devote one’s entire professional life to the pursuit of justice! Tzedek, tzedek tirdoff, the Torah commands.”

August 28, 2020

On the first Shabbat back in our sanctuary, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses this week’s parasha, “Ki Tetze” — “When You Go Out.”: “Perhaps because ‘Ki Tetze’ begins with going out to war, much of the rest of the parasha is about striving for peace, social order, compassion and decency. The Torah emphasizes that even if violence is permitted, we do not strive for violence. These are decrees intended to inculcate humanity in us.”

June 19, 2020

“Today is an important day: June 19th, the day that the emancipation finally arrived to the slaves of Galveston. It wasn’t the exact day they were freed, recalled the descendants of the slaves, but that’s the day they told them that they were free,” says our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It was the same for our people. They became free when they told each other: ‘We are free. We are not returning to Egypt. We are marching forward to the Promised Land.’”

June 5, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses George Floyd’s death and our country’s yearning for justice.

May 29, 2020

Judaism was never big on self-denial,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussing this week’s parashah. “Holiness is expressed through ethical actions. Fundamentalists and extremists distort the mainstream Jewish tradition of seeking moderation, logic and reason.

May 22, 2020

Passover and Shavuot are linked conceptually, which is why we count down the days,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “You can’t have freedom — Passover — without law — Shavuot. If we do not embrace responsibility, we will not be able to sustain our liberty.

May 15, 2020

“If you shall follow my laws…” begins this week’s parashah. “That word ‘if’ is one of the most consequential words,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It connotes all of the uncertainties of life.”

May 8, 2020

Bigger people have a responsibility to smaller people.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the obligations outlined in this week’s parashah, Emor. “To diminish people who are not quite as big in responsibility or social status violates the image of God that is inherent in each of us.

May 1, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delves into what the this week’s parashah has to say about labor and providing for those less fortunate: “Why do we have obligations to those who cannot support themselves? The Torah is emphatic: it’s about human dignity.”

April 24, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch has always been a bit intimidated by this week’s parasha, Tazria-Metzora, which deals with treating those afflicted with disease. “It lays out a path for these people to be quarantined and then let back into society. Healing is not only a medical process; it’s also a spiritual and religious process.

April 17, 2020

“New York’s streets are silent now, but our city will come back noisy as ever,” says our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “As we rebuild, we, ourselves, will be rebuilt.”

April 10, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks what kind of person each of us will be when we emerge from social isolation and finds guidance from Jewish tradition.

April 3, 2020

On the Shabbat before Passover, each Israelite household was commanded to watch over a lamb for four days before using its blood to mark their doorposts. “God wanted the Israelites to earn their freedom — even if it was simply by keeping watch,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “So today, each of us must do something — even if it’s simply keeping watch — to restore our freedoms.”

March 27, 2020

“We read in the Book of Daniel, ‘thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.’ We must pass this test — or there will be incalculable human suffering,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Have patience. Keep these monotonous days in perspective. They will not last forever.”

March 20, 2020

We never really think about how connected we are with everybody else,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “This week’s Torah portion emphasizes that Moses assembled the entire people of Israel in order to complete the tabernacle. Like the Israelites, to defeat this unseen enemy — COVID-19 — each of us has a role to play.”

March 13, 2020

As we focus on “social distancing” and staying healthy in the challenging months ahead, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges us “to focus on the things that really matter to us: life, family, friends, meaning, purpose.”

February 28, 2020

“When we are anxious and afraid, we often act unintelligently — with little wisdom and with pervasive cruelty,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. As the coronavirus looms, what we need is a good, strong dose of courage, sense and heart.

February 7, 2020

As our country grapples with political turmoil and gears up for another divisive election, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch contemplates the moral character of leaders. “The indispensable criterion for leadership is moral awareness,” he says.

January 24, 2020

“These days, trust in our most critical institutions is in distressing decline,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who discussed how public confidence has eroded when it comes to the media, the courts, schools, churches and synagogues. “Inspiration does not reside in our institutions unless we take care to uphold institutional values.”

January 10, 2020

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses his long depressing, uplifting week — including the march against anti-Semitism on Sunday, his remarks to Fieldston students on Thursday, and his advice to parents for raising proud Jewish children.

December 6, 2019

“We are numb to the damage that our culture of shame wreaks,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, as he examines the lengths we go to protect our dignity in this week’s parasha. “Dignity is the very essence of what makes us human. The Talmud tells us that when Rabbi Elazar was about to die he gave one final teaching to summarize all others: ‘May each of you be very careful of the dignity of others.’”

November 15, 2019

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch examines generational tensions, both modern day and through the lens of this week’s parasha, Va’yerah. Ultimately, whether you are a critical Baby Boomer or a sophomoric millennial retorting, “Okay, Boomer!” time speeds by. “You will spend a brief moment holding the levers of social power and then give way to those who follow you.”

October 18, 2019

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch questions our country’s health in the wake of the NBA-China controversy. “The general manager of the Houston Rockets sent a rather bland tweet upholding the struggle for democracy in Hong Kong – and chaos ensued. What could be more American – or Jewish – than to ‘fight for freedom?’”

October 9, 2019

On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the ways we seek to escape – and give meaning and purpose – to the anxiety of life. Some choose the path of science and technology, but does it liberate or paralyze? Some take the opposite approach: resignation. “There is a third way,” he says, “the Jewish way: finding meaning, purpose and joy in the world as it is, and ceaselessly working to create a better world.”

October 8, 2019

With new political outrage, scandals, lies, and shootings every day, it’s understandable that some of us might suffer from moral fatigue, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said on the eve of Yom Kippur. “The more sensitive we are, the greater the frustration. But there is only one response in Judaism: To fight back.

September 30, 2019

In his Rosh Hashanah sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about antisemitism from both sides of the aisle, slamming the right for excusing hate speech and the left for hypocrisy on Israel, and criticizing the Reform movement for its complacency.

September 13, 2019

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch tackles questions of free will and morality in this crucial period leading up to the High Holy Days. “This season is about taking responsibility. Judaism insists that you can control your life – and urges us to build guardrails so that we don’t fall. Still, everyone falls. Make sure to get up.”

September 6, 2019

The period before the High Holy Days, during the month of Elul, is one of the rare times in Judaism that we’re told to focus on ourselves, says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The whole point of this season of introspection is to get ourselves right first – so we can help get others right. If our heart is not right, we cannot change the hearts of others.”

June 16, 2019

Welcoming officers from the Israel National Defense College for a special Kabbalat Shabbat service and dinner, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about the modern-day miracle of Israel and recounted how the Israelites’ march to the Promised Land was intended to bring light to all the nations of the world.

June 7, 2019

After the recent loss of his mother, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on life’s ephemeral beauty – and the central importance of mothers in our lives.

May 3, 2019

After a shooting attack on a California synagogue and an anti-Semitic cartoon published in The New York Times left American Jews reeling, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch addressed anti-Semitism coming from both the right and left: “Jews do something that no others do: We manage to unite the extreme right and the extreme left.”

April 5, 2019

“In every generation, every Jew should feel as if they were personally redeemed from Egypt,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch quotes from the Haggadah. “The Haftarah reading for the second day of Passover mentions Natan-Melech once, in passing. But this very week, Israeli archeologists announced that they discovered an ancient, 2,641-year-old seal impression bearing his name. Because Jerusalem is slowly revealing its buried secrets, we can trace our very essence to the source. We would not be here if they had not been there. Today, we are the beating heart of Judaism.”

March 22, 2019

Speaking about the recent college admissions, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says: “The impulse to cheat is always present in our lives – especially in a society like ours that so rewards accomplishment. Jewish tradition teaches that we need to avoid even the first step on the wrong path, and remember that God created human beings imperfect and placed us in an imperfect world – and our task is to improve ourselves.”

March 8, 2019

“Right-wing antisemitism inclines towards violence. The antisemitism of the left is camouflaged by the rhetoric of human rights, anti-colonialism, liberalism, and white privilege. It tends to be expressed nowadays through hatred of Israel. And starting there – it often stumbles into antisemitic rhetoric and actions.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to the use of antisemitic tropes in recent political discourse, warning us to be wary of efforts to inoculate people from criticism on the basis of race, gender or religion.

March 1, 2019

In this week’s parasha, God singles out Bezalel by name – and a good name is among our most precious possessions. “Anticipating modern times when, Jewish sages warned against the human propensity to damage a person’s reputation,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It is good for all of us to remember this when we speak about others.”

February 22, 2019

In this week’s parasha, Moses became so enraged that he took the tablets – described by the Torah as being carved by the very finger of God – and shattered them into pieces. In this era of anger, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch cautions, the enraged are often impervious to reason – but anger can also be a force for good.

February 8, 2019

Despite the characteristic rapid social changes of our times, we know what kind of behavior is right and what’s wrong, says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who discusses the ongoing controversy in Virginia’s state government and the great sage, Elazar, who sinned but repented and vowed to change his ways.

February 1, 2019

“With every technological advance – something is lost.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch braved sub-zero temperatures to encourage us to create warmth by avoiding distractions and building meaningful relationships.

January 11, 2019

As mounting accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel advocacy roil the national Women’s March movement, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch announced that Stephen Wise Free Synagogue will disassociate from Women’s March Inc., and that it will join the 2019 Women’s March On NYC under the auspices of Women’s March Alliance.

“This January 19th, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue will be joining the Women’s March On NYC, to show our unyielding support for women’s rights the best way we know how. However, we are disassociating from Women’s March Inc., the national entity that coordinated the 2017 and 2018 marches – and will host the upcoming 2019 march – on Washington, D.C.,” said Hirsch. “We are not disassociating from the original goals of Women’s March. To the contrary, we are joining other progressive organizations that have also been critical of Women’s March Inc. and share the same concerns we have: that its current leadership has distorted the values and thwarted the goals articulated on that amazing January day in 2017.”

December 14, 2018

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the painful reconciliation of Jacob’s sons in the Book of Genesis, and how we should seek to release unresolved anger in our lives.

“I meet so many people who cannot forgive and cannot forget the offense of one who was once so close. Try to come closer. Take the first step of reconciliation. A cold peace is still better than a hot war.”

October 26, 2018

“I know that many of us are afraid. We gather today in memory, in solidarity, but also in defiance. To be a Jew is, itself, an act of defiance. We will not cower. Be proud to be a Jew: you are connected to something special and precious – Am Yisrael, the people of Israel – the only Western civilization to have survived ancient days.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reassured and inspired the New York Jewish community at the first Shabbat service after the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where 11 worshippers were killed.

October 26, 2018

“Sitting there in the Cabinet Room, waiting for the leader of the reconstituted Jewish state, I felt the mysterious, ineluctable flow of time.”

Rabbi Hirsch reflected on his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the American-Jewish existential crisis: “Every Jew is like a grain of sand – we assume our full potential when we combine with all the other Jews of the world, fulfilling our collective destiny.”

October 12, 2018

“Nowadays, we can’t really be sure whether a hurricane is just another storm, or if, somehow, the climate itself is changing – putting into question our very way of life. In the Torah, the key point is not that the world was flooded, but that, eventually, the waters receded.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses hope and the triumph of good over evil in the face of the flood that wiped out humanity.

October 5, 2018

“For all living beings the body’s needs are to continue to exist, but, for human beings, the mind needs harmony.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks difficult questions to justify religion’s relevance in our modern times.

September 19, 2018

On Yom Kippur, in the absence of an official response from the Reform movement to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon’s recent criticism of Judaism as “divisive” and Jewish intramarriage as “a ghetto of two,” Rabbi Hirsch summarizes where the movement should be, and explains that progressive Jewish thinking today tends to mistakenly deemphasize Jewish particularism in favor of universalism when both are important.

September 18, 2018

On Kol Nidre, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflected on his 30 years as a rabbi and how we come to develop wisdom and faith: “The world is bigger than any one of us. This realization that so much of what I do cannot be brought under my full control is the beginning of wisdom. And only after we have failed over and over again can we cherish life’s successes. This is when we develop that thing called faith. Not a rote recitation of religious doctrine – but a deeper devotion that seeks to affirm life despite its hardships, unfairness, injustice and finality.”

September 10, 2018

“If what some people mean by ‘religion should stay out of politics’ is that we should never engage in the social challenges of our times – never speak about the here and now, but only the hereafter – then it is something that Judaism cannot accept. We have a moral obligation to speak about, and act within, the political process,” said Rabbi Hirsch, who, in his Rosh Hashanah sermon, discussed the moral role of religion in politics.

June 22, 2018

“Judaism survived because a privileged and comfortable adult – Pharaoh’s daughter – had compassion on a Jewish refugee child.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch references the story of Moses and reminds us of the principles of our founding fathers in response to the humanitarian crisis on our border. “Everything we receive from Jewish tradition pleads with us to get involved.”

June 15, 2018

“The very connectedness and shrinking of the world – that was supposed to bind us in a common thread of humanity – has isolated us.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to an unprecedented mental health crisis in our country.

May 18, 2018

“It is one thing to point out – rightly – human suffering.  But you cannot be neutral between liberal democracy and authoritarian coercion, between respect for human life and contempt for life, between dignity and cruelty, between self-defense and terror.  To confuse democracies with autocracies, to confuse terrorists with their victims, is a moral disease.“ Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to recent events by the Gaza border.  

May 4, 2018

A trip to the barber causes Rabbi Hirsch to confront his mortality.

April 20, 2018

“We cannot fully understand the contemporary Jewish experience, or live complete Jewish lives, without Israel being part of our Jewish identity.”

In celebration of Yom Haatzmaut, Israel Independence Day, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch honors our history of achievement and explores how Israel’s existence allows us to serve as agents of progress and social repair.

April 13, 2018

On Holocaust Memorial Day, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch demands that we combat humanity’s evil impulses and instill the values of tolerance, decency, compassion, freedom, diversity, and respect. “Again and again and again we have chosen life.  It is the imperative today as well.”

April 6, 2018

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch celebrates the last night of Passover by honoring the achievements of King David and our adult b’nai mitzvah class.

March 9, 2018

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch shares key points he made as a panelist on pro-Israel activism in progressive communities at the 2018 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference, which was attended by thousands of Israeli and American policymakers and thought leaders.

February 23, 2018

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the Florida teenagers fighting gun violence and our moral obligation to support them. “Heroism is the sustained advancement towards a moral goal when the gaze of the world has moved on — and you are left only with your grief, motivation, and values to sustain you.”

February 16, 2018

“Train yourselves and your children for moral performance as you would train yourselves for physical performance,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says. “Do moral workouts. Spend part of every day practicing moral deeds.”

February 9, 2018

Responding to Poland’s new law that makes it a crime to accuse the Polish nation of complicity in the Holocaust, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch remembers a Polish officer who fought the Nazi invasion of his homeland with exceptional moral fortitude and courage.

January 29, 2018

“The human spirit responds to and is strengthened by goodness, kindness, social connections, family, and friends — precisely the rewiring that the Hebrew prophets emphasized nearly three thousand years ago,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch.

January 26, 2018

“Religion is more important to us than ever,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says. “The Torah reminds us that machines serve us — not the opposite. We seek to make technology our tool, not our taskmaster.”

January 19, 2018

“America is not about where you came from,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says in this sermon. “It’s about where you want to go.”

December 15, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “Judaism without Jerusalem is not Judaism.”    

December 1, 2017

“Even if we are devoted to attacking the windmills of injustice, the righteous fight itself might grind us down,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says. “We need to step back — and pursue — the other principles that count” such as love, compassion, and wisdom.

November 10, 2017

“With every new massacre, it has become easier for us to move on,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Instead of just thoughts and prayers, we need deeds, actions, resolutions, and resolve.” 

November 3, 2017

After the recent terrorist attack, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch finds symbolism in the New York City Marathon. “Above all else, the race tests persistence, endurance, and our will to continue.”

September 30, 2017

Rabbi Hirsch urges American Reform Jews to establish and fund a stronger progressive movement in Israel to counter the intensifying religious extremism of the country’s ultra-Orthodox monopoly.

September 29, 2017

Eternity came before us; eternity comes after us. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks: “What is the significance of our brief sojourn on earth?”

September 21, 2017

In his Rosh Hashanah sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch offers an assessment of the political and moral health of our country since the election of President Trump.

September 15, 2017

“It is good for you to take time off your academic pursuits and professional responsibilities and reflect in synagogue on what you want to do with all the knowledge you have acquired,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says.

September 8, 2017

“The secret of life is to fear what should be feared — but not allow fear to paralyze action and trample upon moral values,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch.

June 16, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the synagogue’s refugee relief mission to Greece and Germany. “We are a tiny corner of the world on 68th Street, but still, we did a lot of good.”

June 9, 2017

There is an essential truth that should govern our behavior, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says. “You can give of yourself without depleting yourself. The spirit of God rests upon you. You can — you must — share it with others.”  

May 19, 2017

“What the Bible is teaching more than anything else is that human beings need other human beings,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says in this sermon. “Practically everything we have, and everything we know, comes from other people.”

May 5, 2017

In a day and age when “it is hard for us to appreciate Jewish independence because it is our daily reality,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch finds inspiration for renewed commitment to Israel in his favorite biblical passage.

April 28, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges our community to support the synagogue’s refugee relief work. “I hope you will tell your friends, share our moral indignation, and resolve to do something yourselves.”

April 7, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on our recent mission to Israel. “I wish I could persuade those of you who have not been to participate in this transformative, life-altering journey — because words fall short.”

March 17, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch finds inspiration (and humor) in an incapacitating experience with a kidney stone. “The touch of a human hand — not the philosophy of eternal reward — is Judaism’s best response to pain.”

March 3, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to the spate of threats against Jewish institutions across the country. “The only way to defeat hate is to confront it.” 

February 24, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch looks back on the more than four decades that have passed since the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade. “When it comes to the core of what drives us in life, our concerns are moral.”

February 10, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on this era of instant gratification and “alternative facts” and reminds us: Jewish tradition is emphatic that there are no shortcuts in life.

February 3, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to President Trump’s immigration ban and announces a congregational refugee relief trip to Greece and Germany. “Step into the shoes of the refugee,” he says. “Try to imagine yourself on a tempest-tossed rickety boat fleeing Assad’s chemicals and ISIS’s brutalities. Don’t you remember? Just think back two or three or four generations. We Jews were on those boats — the wretched refuse that no one wanted. The world shut its doors to us, too.”

January 20, 2017

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reminds us that we must always preserve and defend the Jewish tradition’s core values. “Our greatness is not only in cherishing and speaking of these values, but in living up to them and instilling them in the lifeblood of the nation.”

January 13, 2017

Reflecting on hate speech that has recently plagued the small Jewish community of Whitefish, Montana, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch considers the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”

January 6, 2017

Through the lens of the biblical story of Joseph’s reunion with his brothers, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on a deeply Jewish idea: that there is a guiding force in the universe.

“Joseph could not unravel what forces brought him to the throne of Egypt. He only senses a deep connection between events that was mystical, even magical. He described this feeling as God and destiny.”

December 1, 2016

“Twas the seventh day of Hanukkah, and all through the night, Jews were observing Shabbat with delight.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch mesmerized listeners of all ages with his fun take on a classic poem.

November 18, 2016

“Judaism is not passive acceptance of the divine will. God wants protest for the sake of what is right,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says in this sermon. “The point of Judaism is to feel a kinship with all human beings. God is not only looking for good people, but good people who are willing to do justice even within a sea of injustice.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. A vibrant Reform congregation on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 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.

November 11, 2016

In his first sermon since Americans elected Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch offers words of consolation and action.

“I have not witnessed this widespread and communal sense of loss, anxiety, fear, and profound sadness since 9/11,” Rabbi Hirsch says. “After you have taken the time to dust yourself off and recover your emotional equilibrium — and it will happen quickly — we must devote ourselves with extra fervor to the great principles and ideals that define who we are as Americans and as Jews.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. A vibrant Reform congregation on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 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.

October 28, 2016

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch examines the human inclination to lie. As an example, he condemns UNESCO’s draft resolution that “simply erased” any connection of the Jewish people to Jerusalem. “We must train ourselves to value and defend the truth,” he says

October 12, 2016

In his Yom Kippur sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on heroism and our quest for meaning.

“If we really look, we will discover that everything is broken,” he says. “We are all infirm. We might look whole from the outside, but we are a collection of broken pieces coarsely glued together.”

“A hero is one who, in the face of all the senseless absurdities and sufferings of life, keeps on keeping on, not giving in to disillusion and despair. Why do I live? What is my purpose? Let life be for a heroic cause. This is why we are here today: to render our lives more meaningful, to gain perspective, a sense of what could be.”

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. A vibrant Reform congregation on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 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

October 11, 2016

In his Kol Nidre sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch considers the US presidential election and Judaism’s demand that we speak about — and act upon — the moral challenges of our time.

“Beyond all of the critical issues – the economy, race relations, climate change, security in an age of terrorism, widespread inhumanity causing millions of desperate refugees to wander the world, the reemergence of international tension not seen since the end of the Cold War – we should consider the core principles at stake in these elections,” he says. “Every political choice we make is fundamentally a moral choice. Ultimately, politics is about conscience and character.”

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.

October 3, 2016

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch focused on Israel in his Rosh Hashanah sermon.

“The objective of the Jewish state is not only freedom for our people, but freedom for all people,” Rabbi Hirsch said. “We liberal Jews should be a powerful voice for Jewish universal humanism.”

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s ties to Zionism date back to the synagogue’s founder, Rabbi Stephen Wise (1874–1949), who — unlike most Reform Jews of the early twentieth century — was committed to the establishment of a Jewish state. 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.

September 23, 2016

An unusual scene in Central Park inspires Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to reflect on praying, blessings, and faith. “Try to pray for the permanent and infinite things… not only for yourself, but for others. And then–go out into the world and try to make a difference.”

September 16, 2016

“Your words are you: your character, your spirit – your essence,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch says in this recent sermon. “When leaders lie, they coarsen public values and corrode public life.”

September 9, 2016

“Life optimally lived is for, with, and through others.” In this sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch describes how planning and personal accomplishment can be channeled towards the common good.

September 1, 2016

“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.

August 26, 2016

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

June 24, 2016

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.”

June 10, 2016

With the presidential primaries behind us, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks: What qualities do we want in our leaders? Jewish tradition hints that the great political leaders are not necessarily beloved; like Moses, they need to make hard decisions.

June 7, 2016

Touching on the sanctity of life, Judaism’s mandate to fight evil, the intolerable ease in this country of acquiring lethal firearms, religious extremism fueled by a nihilistic interpretation of Islam, and widespread bias towards the LGBT community, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to the tragedy in Orlando. Visit www.swfs.org for more information.

June 3, 2016

What gives your life meaning? Judaism urges protest, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects in this sermon. Don’t accept the world as it is: find meaning and purpose in fighting injustice.

May 20, 2016

“Jewish lives matter,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said in Friday’s sermon as he welcomed officials from the Israel National Defense College to Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on May 20. “Antizionism is not necessarily antisemitism, but the dividing line is becoming increasingly blurry.”

For more than 100 years, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been a catalyst for progressive Jewish thought, support for Israel, and committed social action in the local community and beyond. www.swfs.org

April 21, 2016

“Judaism always believes in next year, not only as a prayer, but as a plan,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects. “In our tradition, the golden age is still to come.”

For more than 100 years, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been a catalyst for progressive Jewish thought, support for Israel, and committed social action in the local community and beyond. www.swfs.org

April 8, 2016

Since ancient times, Jewish spiritual leaders have offered hope in the face of illness and suffering, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reminds us. It is a process of acceptance outlined in the Torah.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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.

April 1, 2016

Reflecting on the cacophony of the Internet, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks: Is all this information a sign of engagement or withdrawal?

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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.

March 25, 2016

In this Shabbat Sermon, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the true meaning of religion in the wake of unspeakable recent horrors.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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

March 5, 2016

Reflecting on a Torah portion that narrates the building of the Tabernacle, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch finds a fundamental lesson: the sublime is a product of the ordinary.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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

February 26, 2016

From the days of Moses, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects, participation in the Jewish community has been the essence of Judaism – an insight that illuminates the disconnect many Jews feel toward presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a Reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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

February 19, 2016

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch draws on the Torah and New York Fashion Week to remind us: Do not look to outer beauty, look to the heart.

Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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

February 5, 2016

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks that we consider “That of which we are most proud, that which reveals the best of us every single day,” in this week’s Shabbat sermon, “Our Shelter: Go Downstairs!” Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a reform Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York, and 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

January 22, 2016

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on “New York Values” in this week’s Friday night Shabbat sermon. 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

January 15, 2015

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delivers this week’s inspirational Shabbat Sermon, “Powerball.” 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

January 8, 2015

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch offers his insight in this week’s Shabbat Sermon, “Talking Trump.” 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