Category: Video
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Our Civic Covenant: Faith and Democracy
In a time of deep societal division and rising anxiety, Rabbi Adrian Schell delivers a powerful address for Civic Shabbat, “A Covenant of Courage.”Drawing on the ancient call to Abraham in Parashat Lech Lecha and the prophet Micah’s vision of peace, Rabbi Schell explores the urgent challenge of our time: the breaking of our “civic…
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How Can We Rejoice? A Sukkot Message Two Years After October 7th
My sermon for Erev Sukkot addresses a direct and painful collision in the Jewish calendar: the beginning of ‘z’man simchateinu’, the season of our joy, falls on the exact second anniversary of the October 7th atrocities. It explores how the sukkah itself, with its flimsy walls and lesson in vulnerability, will not let us hide…
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Probabilities Don’t Hug You Back: A Neilah Sermon for a World Without Guarantees
This Neilah sermon begins with a story from the town of Chelm, where a drought has caused a crisis of faith, and the people demand proof that God is listening. Into this debate steps Jossele, who argues that while he can’t be certain about God, he knows that a life of kindness, forgiveness, and charity…
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The Town of Stopped Clocks: A Kol Nidrei Message on Forgiveness and Time
This sermon for Kol Nidrei begins with a story of a town where every clock is stopped at the precise moment of a deep personal hurt. This powerful metaphor explores how we all carry “stopped clocks” in our own hearts—frozen moments of resentment where we have defined ourselves, and others, by their worst mistakes. The…
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Take Words With You: A Jewish Guide to a Hopeful New Year
Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the work of ‘teshuvah’ (return) can feel daunting. But what if the essential tool for change isn’t guilt, but language? Rabbi Adrian Schell explores the ancient Jewish “technology” of using words—for apology, for prayer, and for rewriting our own stories—as we prepare for the new year. Drawing on the…
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When Conscience and Command Collide: Faith and Ethics in the Akedah (Binding of Isaac) Story
When Conscience and Command Collide: Faith and Ethics in the Akedah (Binding of Isaac) Story In this powerful sermon for the first day of Rosh Hashanah 5786, Rabbi Adrian Schell of The Wimbledon Synagogue offers a profound re-reading of the Binding of Isaac (the Akedah). What if Abraham’s journey up the mountain was not an…
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Holiness in the Shadow of History: Lessons from Acharei Mot–Kedoshim and VE Day
On the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this sermon reflects on the powerful intersection of Parashat Acharei Mot–Kedoshim with a moment of both liberation and loss in Jewish and world history.—
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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…
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Taking Responsibility in the Age of AI
Join Rabbi Adrian M. Schell as he delivers a thought-provoking, and at times light-hearted, sermon during the Neilah service at Wimbledon Synagogue. He explores the balance between human responsibility and technological advancement. In this heartfelt Yom Kippur sermon, Rabbi Schell reflects on the rise of artificial intelligence and the importance of not surrendering our moral…
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Finding Awe in Uncertain Times
In his Kol Nidrei sermon, Rabbi Adrian M. Schell reflects on the power of Awe in times of uncertainty. Drawing on ancient wisdom from the Midrash to the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Schell encourages us to lift our heads, step out of the darkness, and rediscover wonder in the world around us—despite the chaos and…
