Tag: Torah sparks by Rabbi Schell
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What Makes Us Whole?
In Parashat Emor, we find one of the Torah’s more difficult passages — a section that limits which kohanim, which priests, can serve at the altar. A priest with a visible difference — blind, lame, injured, or with a disfigurement — is instructed not to offer the sacred sacrifices.To modern ears, this can feel jarring.…
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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 Fire that Sustains, the Fire that Consumes
I have just returned from a few days away in Germany. It was good, and it was needed. The truth is, Pesach – as joyful and rich as it is – carries with it a weight that few of us acknowledge aloud. It is one of the most intense, demanding seasons in the year of…
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Planting Hope in Fragile Soil
This Shabbat, we find ourselves at a crossroads of deep reflection and joyful celebration. The Torah portions of Tazria and Metzora speak about illness, healing, isolation, and return. They tell of individuals who are cast out of the community because of tsara’at, not as punishment, but as a way to heal. And when they are…
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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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
