Category: Rabbinic Thoughts
-
The Afikoman We Carry | Pesach Sermon by Rabbi Adrian M. Schell
In this Pesach sermon, Rabbi Adrian M. Schell reflects on a deeply personal and poignant Seder night in Berlin, where a table of rabbinical students, each carrying their own stories and silences, unknowingly held the broken pieces of our collective Jewish memory—and helped one another carry them. Using the powerful symbol of the Afikoman, Rabbi…
-
Omer Counting 2025
The Omer marks our journey from freedom to purpose — day by day, step by step. Download your free counting sheet now from my website and join the tradition of sacred time.
-
The Holiness of Showing Up: A Shabbat Sermon on Nearness and Connection
In this special interfaith Shabbat sermon for Parashat Vayikra, Rabbi Adrian M. Schell reflects on the meaning of korban, often translated as “sacrifice”, and its deeper message of karov, nearness. What does it mean to truly draw close to one another, especially when it’s not easy? And how can small, quiet moments become sacred offerings…
-
Bak, Buk, and the Great Purim Heist
Wasn’t that a great Purim weekend? Such fun. Thank you to all who attended and contributed to a great celebration. By the way, did you notice this year’s most ambitious, albeit ill-fated, heist attempt? Our two ever-mischievous Minions, Bak and Buk, devised a grand scheme: stealing the Ner Tamid—yes, the Eternal Light itself. Why? Who…
-
In the Shadow of Beauty
Shabbat Ki Tissa brings us face to face with a rare figure in our tradition—Bezalel, an artist whose name itself means “in the shadow of God.” Bezalel’s job was special: crafting the Tabernacle, creating beauty as an act of holiness. But wait: Judaism doesn’t exactly have a reputation for cherishing visual art, does it? Why…
-
Rabbi, do you believe in God?
‘I hear that nowadays Rabbis don’t have to believe in God – Rabbi, do you believe in God?’ You know, this question comes up surprisingly often in my life as a rabbi. Sometimes it’s asked earnestly, other times it’s more playful—but honestly, I find myself asking it too. I suspect many of you have faced…
-
The real test of morality
There’s a reason we come back to the following teaching again and again: Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It’s the most often repeated commandment in the Torah—more than keeping Shabbat, more than kashrut, more than any ritual law. Thirty-six times, the Torah reminds us that the way we…
-
A Thought for Shabbat: The Mystery of God’s Name
Have you ever wondered about the profound mystery of calling someone’s name? Names are magical, aren’t they? They’re more than just sounds—they’re connections, bridges between hearts and souls. In our Jewish tradition, we find something wonderfully intriguing about God’s name. When Moses encounters the burning bush, he asks, “What shall I call You?” And God’s…
-
Jewish Perspectives on the Assisted Dying Debate
As the assisted dying debate is currently being discussed in Parliament, I wanted to share a summary of Jewish perspectives on this important and complex topic. The attached paper offers an overview of how Judaism approaches the sanctity of life, the alleviation of suffering, and the ethical challenges surrounding end-of-life decisions. While this document is…
-
We will dance again—Simchat Torah 5785
On Simchat Torah, we gather,with hearts heavy,remembering those taken from us,in the fields where life once bloomed.Kibbutzim quieted by sorrow,echo with voices we still hear,their absence a wound, raw and open. We hold in prayerthose still lost in the shadows,abducted, but never forgotten.In our yearning, we reach for them,as we have always reached for peace,with…
