Making Ourselves Known: Unburdening As A Bridge To The Divine
Yom Kippur, Society Hill Synagogue, 5784 By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar There is one particular story from Torah that is sticking with me this Yom Kippur, and it’s a story that, while perhaps known to many, does not necessarily have an enduring role in the Jewish ritual calendar and so I want to take this opportunity […]
Loving Your Neighbor As Yourself: A Journey Into The Soul
Kol Nidre, Society Hill Synagogue, 5784 By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Rabbi Akiva has been called the greatest rabbi of them all, the most esteemed of the ancient rabbis. So when he identifies what he considers to be כְּלַל גָּדוֹל בַּתּוֹרָה, the great principle in all of Torah, you sit up and listen. The principle, the […]
The Enduring Sacredness Of The Synagogue
Rosh Hashanah 5784 By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I have to say, I never imagined myself here. I never imagined myself as a pulpit rabbi. Many of you know that I had a brief foray as an attorney before this, and even when I got to rabbinical school, I didn’t imagine serving in a synagogue context. […]
To Life: Seven Points of Guidance for The Synagogue Service-going Experience
Erev Rosh Hashanah, Society Hill Synagogue, 5784 By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Judaism is not a religion that is often closely associated with math; most of us rabbis got into this business precisely to avoid it, but I want to get into just a little bit of addition with you. Ready? Tonight’s service is approximately an […]
Welcoming Guests and Embracing Openness: A Reflection on Hachnasat Orchim and the Spirit of Community
By Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Last year, when we inaugurated this version of our Open House Shabbat, which begins with our first TGIShabbat after a Summer Break and extends through tomorrow morning, Shabbat morning, we did so through a teaching built around the Jewish value of Hachnasat Orchim, the welcoming of guests. We talked about how […]