Living Jewishly Out Loud

Up Close: Aliens

Do aliens really exist, and if so, what do ancient artwork and Jewish texts tell us about them? Join the Rabbis as they dive into the unknown — ancient mysteries and mode

To Love Our Jewishness

We often define our Jewishness through the shared collective trauma that has followed us for millennia. These trials shape the narrative we tell ourselves, the world, and

Fight For It

Has the Golden Age of the American Jew come to an end? On Rosh Hashanah morning, Rabbi Michael tells us his answer: absolutely not. Our destiny is that of our own making,

Choosing Authenticity: Living the Jewish American Dream

For generations, Jews have strived for acceptance. From our neighbors, from our communities, from the world. Where acceptance eluded us, we tried assimilation. For centur

What Jew Are You

What type of Jew are you? Perhaps a “Passover Jew,” defined by your empathy & care for others, even those beyond your community? Or maybe a “Purim Jew,” focused on protec

Torah of the Street

During this busy time of year – kids heading back to school, Labor Day plans, the High Holy Days approaching, fall sports underway – it can feel difficult to add anything

Hate is a 4-Letter Word

As we head into the High Holy Days, we often focus on teshuvah — the hard work of apologizing and making amends. But what about the modern "villains" in our lives whom we

The Courage to Critique

Is a "good friend" someone who never judges you, or the one person with the courage to call you out? Drawing from the Torah, this episode dives into the difficult Jewish

How to Raise a Mensch

We’ve all heard Jewish caregivers kvell over their "exceptional" children — the doctors, the lawyers, the "tall and handsome" sons. And they're right to: Jews make up onl

Choosing the Living: a response to a world that prefers our history to our presence

The world often embraces Jewish stories when they are tragic, memorialized in museums, or win Academy Awards — but as Dara Horn famously wrote, "People love dead Jews. Li

Jewish Resilience

Having just commemorated Yom HaShoah, and in this moment of deep communal challenge and change, Rabbi Amy reflects on what it means to live openly as a Jew. Drawing on a

Let My People Go

Moses stands before the burning bush and receives the divine command to tell Pharaoh, "Let my people go," yet he repeatedly resists, citing a profound speech impediment. 

The Blame Game

When terrible things happen, we often look for where to place the blame - villains, ourselves, even God. This week’s Torah portion prompts us to ask the same question abo

Planting for the Next Generation

Drawing on Mark Twain’s famous observation of Jewish endurance, this sermon explores how the secret to Jewish continuity lies not in having all the answers, but in our co

Jewish Appearances

Jewish congregations, and Temple Israel specifically, have a long tradition of innovation and change. In the generation to come, we need to both appear more Jewish and ma

Going All In

Throughout American Jewish history, there have been times when it seems that a switch flips in us that reminds us that our Judaism is our defining feature. Now is the tim

The Siren & the Shofar

In times of danger, we have warnings that help us protect ourselves, but there’s rarely a sign that tells us when the danger has passed. The shofar, however, provides a m

Jews by Choice: Part 2

You may remember our spring episode on those who become Jews by choice. Join us for this episode of Living Jewishly Out Loud as Rabbi Amy digs deeper into the awe and sig

Who Are the Bad Guys? Seeking Clarity in a Time of War

With news of a possible end to the Israel-Hamas war, and as we await the release of our hostages this weekend, Rabbi Michael offers clarity and context in this powerful e

The Jewish Origins of Paddington Bear

The story of Paddington Bear was inspired by the author seeing Jewish refugee children during WWII.  As we marked Kristallnacht and read the story of the Akeidah, we look