I’m thrilled you are exploring Society Hill Synagogue and have found your way to the page of Divrei Torah, words of Torah, which are part of a generations-long Jewish practice of refracting sacred Jewish teachings through the light of our own day and age.
For me, Judaism is an opportunity to nourish ourselves, grounded in the Jewish story: a story that has unfolded throughout the generations, with twists and turns, tragedy and triumph, serving as a source of life to those who engage with it.
The Jewish People are known as B’nei Yisrael: the people who wrestle with the Divine. The name comes from that moment in our tradition in which it is understood that our ancestor Jacob “wrestled with a figure,” a figure understood to be a manifestation of that very Divine Being (see Genesis 32).
That moment produced a legacy of sacred wrestling; grappling; seeking to make meaning of, and find purpose in, our time on earth.
These Divrei Torah are my efforts, in conversation with the community of Society Hill Synagogue, to make meaning and to find purpose, seeking to serve this community, our broader world, and the Divine.
I hope you find meaning in them yourself, and I encourage you to reach out to me if you would like to discuss their contents or to discuss becoming a part of the Society Hill Synagogue community. Welcome!
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God Already Knows, Because God Has Regrets, Too
Yom Kippur 5787 by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar There is perhaps no verse more centrally cited in all of Torah than a verse that shows up in its very first chapter. וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ And God created humankind in the divine image, creating
They Have Not Come. They Might Never Come. But They Must Come.
Kol Nidrei 5787 by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar To be a Jew, tradition says, is to have a story. For generations, a singular story tied the Jewish people together. Maybe not always believed literally — religion and literalism rarely go hand in hand — but there was
What I Didn’t See About Antisemitism
Rosh Hashanah 5787 by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I did some basic math, and over the course of my career, I have delivered at least a couple hundred sermons. And yet, none of them prepared me for this one, which is of a different tone and covers
Finding God in a World We Cannot Explain
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5787 by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar The beloved Rebbe Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev once called upon all the people in his shtetl to assemble in the town square the next day at noon. He had, he said, an announcement of the greatest importance to
L’shanah Tovah Tikatevu
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, On this day, before Erev Rosh Hashanah, I want to take a moment, on behalf of the Society Hill Synagogue community, to offer you the traditional blessing that we are all invited to express to one another. L’shanah tovah tikatevu — may
Let Your House Be Expansively Open
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, We’re looking forward to seeing you in just 8 days for Rosh Hashanah. Find all details about attending Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur at Society Hill Synagogue here. The best way to participate in these Days of Awe services
Building the Next Chapter of Our Community
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, I’m excited to see many of you for our Open House Shabbat this Friday and Saturday, details for which can be found here. This Shabbat is for everyone: people who have never been to Society Hill Synagogue or who have attended
Eating, and Living, with Purpose
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, During this past week’s Torah discussion at our Shabbat morning services, we discussed the week’s parashah (portion), which, as we approach the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — is part of the fifth of the five books
The Messenger Matters
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, Last week, in our weekly Torah discussion, we discussed Parashat Devarim, the Torah portion known as Devarim, which is the first portion of the fifth and final book of the Torah. The book’s Hebrew name is also Devarim (the
The Danger of Passion Without Pause
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been encountering some difficult material in the Torah during our weekly reading on Shabbat, material all Jewish communities all around the world read according to the same schedule. Each week at Society
A Decade Ahead: Continuing the Journey Together
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, If you attended our Congregation Annual Meeting in June, read Lisa Eizen’s — our immediate past synagogue President — recent Kesher article, or perhaps attended one of our TGIShabbat Friday night services in May, would have encountered the following
Is the American Jewish Story Different?
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, The tradition, as I have done before, is to write on the 4th of July — especially on the semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of this country’s independence — about the hopes and ideals upon which this nation was founded;
What We Learn When We Stop Projecting
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, In this week’s reflections, I wanted to share a little bit about some of the discoveries we have made together in our weekly Torah discussion that takes place every Saturday morning during our Shabbat services here at Society Hill
God Is Free. So Why Join a Synagogue?
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Dear Friends, This is a vital time in the life of our synagogue community, and that is because it is synagogue membership season. For some, the notion of synagogue membership is an old hat, a standard element of Jewish communal life.
The Blessing Is Real. The Problem Is, Too.
by Rabbi Nathan Kamesar I want to take a moment to thank one particular service leader, our president, Lisa Eizen, who is completing her two-year term of service as president and continuing her lifelong role of service to Jewish community. Our presidents take on a