mstreiffer

Stop and See: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah 5784

Derlivered on Rosh Hashanah Morning 2023 at Congregation Kol Ami, Thornhill, Ontario. Let me ask you a question: Have you looked at the sky today? The story is told that once the great Rebbe Nachman of Bratzlav was looking out his window and he noticed one of his disciples, Chaim, rushing down the street towardContinueContinue reading “Stop and See: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah 5784”

“A Spectrum of Meaningful Human Difference” – Sermon for Pride Shabbat

Judaism is full of blessings. There’s a blessing for bread, a blessing for wine. A blessing for fruits and vegetables and other various foodstuffs. There are blessings for seeing and enjoying a beautiful natural scene – a rainbow, a sunset. There are blessings for doing mitzvot – like lighting candles and putting on a tallit.ContinueContinue reading ““A Spectrum of Meaningful Human Difference” – Sermon for Pride Shabbat”

The Darker Side of Purim Graggers

It’s every Jewish kid’s favourite activity: each year on Purim, while the megillah is being read, we gleefully shake our graggers and shout aloud, drowning out the name of Haman. Haman (yimach sh’mo – may his name be erased) is, of course, the bad guy of the Purim story. The perennial enemy; the face ofContinueContinue reading “The Darker Side of Purim Graggers”

The Need for Rest: What We Can Learn From the Land

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m so busy! I can’t take a break or else I’ll never catch up.” It’s a universal concern – we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. This week’s parashah addresses this issue – only it’s not talking (directly) about people, but rather about land. “Six yearsContinueContinue reading “The Need for Rest: What We Can Learn From the Land”