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The Weight of Witnessing: Why Your Heart Feels Heavy for Others
Looking at the 10 plagues at the beginning of the Exodus narrative, I think they not only strike Egypt but also pass through the Israelite houses as sound, fear, and memory. The Israelites may be spared some of the blows, but they still live with the cries in the night and the knowledge of what…
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A Letter to Myself: Reflections on my father’s first Yahrzeit
In the twelve months since my father’s passing, our community has accompanied around twenty individuals on their final journeys. For a rabbi, walking with the bereaved is a constant, but this year the weight of it felt different. There was a strange, heavy resonance between my private study, where I sat with my own grief,…
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Exploring Faith and Autonomy
My Interview on Bordering On Belief I recently had the lovely opportunity to sit down for a deep dive into the heart of Reform Judaism with the Bordering On Belief podcast. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the values that guide my work and my faith, particularly the idea of “informed autonomy” (the…
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The Courage of Inadequacy
We often imagine the great biblical leaders as individuals of unshakeable confidence. We tend to picture the cinematic version of Moses, standing fearless before Pharaoh, or the booming voice of a prophet thundering against corruption. Yet, when we look closely at the texts appointed for this Shabbat, we find something far more human, fragile, and…
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The Theft of Memory: Why the “Palestinian Jesus” Narrative is Antisemitism
From the billboards of New York City to the viral feeds of our social media, a troubling narrative has taken hold this holiday season. The claim that “Jesus was a Palestinian” is being repeated with increasing confidence, often framed as a gesture of solidarity with the oppressed. Yet, beneath this veneer of social justice lies…
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God is Not a Monster
How do we find a meaningful Jewish response to the Sydney terror attack? In this week’s sermon on Parashat Mikeitz, Rabbi Adrian (Wimbledon Synagogue) challenges the idea that tragedy is part of a divine script. If we claim that everything happens for a reason, we risk portraying a “Puppeteer God” who is cruel. Instead, we…
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At the End: Finding God After the Chaos
The Hebrew word that gives this week’s Torah portion its name, Mikeitz, translates simply as ‘at the end’. It refers to the end of two years of Joseph’s imprisonment, marking the precise moment his fortune shifts. In the biblical narrative, the timing is impeccable. Pharaoh dreams, the cupbearer suddenly remembers Joseph, and in a whirlwind…
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May our light outshine their hatred.
It seems that all too often in recent years, just as we prepare to kindle the lights of a joyful festival, a shadow is cast over our celebration. The news from Sydney this morning is shocking, heartbreaking, and feels incredibly close to home, despite the distance. …
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The Festival of Contradictions
A Thought for Hanukkah Preparing for Hanukkah, I found myself reading a fascinating lecture by the scholar Yehoyada Amir, titled The Contradictory Sides of Hanukkah. It struck me how we often take the story of the Maccabees for granted, yet Amir reminds us that this festival has constantly shifted shape to suit the needs of…
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Stop Creating Monsters
Rabbi Adrian Schell welcomes Secretary of State Steve Reed to Wimbledon Synagogue for Shabbat Vayishlach. This sermon explores the spiritual antidote to populism by connecting it to Jacob’s wrestling with Esau. In this crucial discussion of faith and politics, the Rabbi challenges us all to see the humanity in the ‘other’—the refugee, the opponent, or…
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Rabbi Adrian's Blog
