Monthly Archives: September 2007

Gimme Shelter

Posted on September 26, 2007 | 1 Comment

This Sukkot, the festival in which we are commanded to construct and “live” in impermanent dwellings, I’m particularly mindful of the fragile shelter that protects humanity’s collective dwelling place.

The pic above shows a great view of the breathtakingly thin membrane that we call the earth’s atmosphere, photographed from the space shuttle Atlantis in 1992. Could it be this is what we mean when we pray in the evening the Hashkiveinu prayer, “Spread over us your sukkat shalom (Sukkah of Peace)?”

May you and those you love find shelter and peace this Sukkot…

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Posted in Environmentalism, Religion, Spirituality, Sukkot

Religion at its Best

Posted on September 25, 2007 | 1 Comment

If you ever have any doubt that religion can help promote resistance in the face of tyranny and mass mobilization for social change, just click here.

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Posted in Human Rights, Religion

Night of Our Disavowal: A Sermon for Kol Nidre

Posted on September 25, 2007 | 3 Comments

Here’s an excerpt from the sermon I gave this past Friday on Erev Yom Kippur:

In the end, I believe the path set out for us by our tradition guides us still. The violence in our midst cannot be ignored or wished away. We must acknowledge it, we must face it, and yes, we must respond to it. For our own sake, for the sake of all who dwell on earth, we must disavow the use of violence to solve our conflicts. Whether it be the violence in our own homes, or the use of military force to address complex political situations, we must be ready to confront and repudiate the violent impulses that reside deep within each and every one of us if we are ever to find a way toward a truly just and peaceful world.

If you’d like to read the full text, click below:

Continue reading →

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Posted in Gun Control, High Holidays, Judaism, Nonviolence, Peace, Religion, Sermons

JRC Construction Diary #23

Posted on September 20, 2007 | 1 Comment

Work has sped up on the project and we currently have twenty to thirty workers per day on the site performing various tasks. The top pic shows the third floor sanctuary – note the Jerusalem stone tile which has now has been installed on either side of the bimah. The drywall installation is nearly complete – the second and third pix below show the interior of the classrooms on the first and second floor – and the taping of the drywall began yesterday.

The cypress siding is now finished on the north and east sides of the building. The bottom pic shows the east wall (you can see the sanctuary windows at the top). The south side will be finished shortly.

The front stairway is now completely in place and the concrete treads will be installed at the end of the month. The south glass wall and supports will be installed soon after.

A final note: I was happy to discover this recent blog post profiling Carol Ross Barney, the talented architect whose firm designed our building. Among other things, it provides a link to a video interview in which Carol discusses her own personal journey and her unique philosophy as a Chicago architect.

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Posted in Energy Efficiency, Environmentalism, Green Buildings, JRC Construction Diaries, Religion

There Is Nothing So Whole As a Broken Heart

Posted on September 18, 2007 | 3 Comments

I’ve been hunkering down these past two weeks working on my High Holiday sermons, so I haven’t had too much time/energy for the blog, alas. In the spirit of the season, however, I thought it might be appropriate to pull one of my older sermons out of the ol’ data base.

Here’s a Kol Nidre sermon from a few years back in which I somehow managed to combine the first two chapters of Genesis, the Kotzker Rebbe, and the children’s book, “Eggbert, The Slightly Cracked Egg.” If this seems at all intriguing to you, click below:

Continue reading →

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Posted in High Holidays, Judaism, Religion, Sermons, Spirituality

The Open Door: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah

Posted on September 14, 2007 | 3 Comments

All the best for a sweet, happy and healthy New Year. May it be a year of renewal and hope for us and for all who dwell on earth…

For my Erev Rosh Hashanah sermon, click here: Continue reading →

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Posted in Coexistence, Environmentalism, High Holidays, Hurricane Katrina, Israel, Judaism, Palestine, Sermons

Rosh Hashanah Girl

Posted on September 10, 2007 | 1 Comment

OK, I’m sure this film will soon be all over the Jewish blogosphere like a cheap suit, so I might as well do my part and post it too…

Shanah Tovah!

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Posted in Comedy, High Holidays, Movies

Choosing Life

Posted on September 7, 2007 | 1 Comment

From this week’s Torah portion, Nitzavim:

I call upon heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life – if you and your offspring would live… (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

From “Man’s Search for Meaning,” by Victor Frankl:

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

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Posted in Holocaust, Judaism, Religion, Spirituality, Torah Commentary

Brooklyn is Not Expanding!!!

Posted on September 6, 2007 | 1 Comment

Not exactly sure why, but I was thinking this classic clip (from the opening of “Annie Hall” – a movie with plenty of classic scenes) was oddly apropos of the upcoming High Holidays…

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Posted in Comedy, High Holidays, Judaism, Movies, Religion

JRC Construction Diary #22

Posted on September 4, 2007 | 2 Comments

The Jerusalem stone has now been completely installed. The work this past week has now shifted to the main stairway on the south side of the building. The above pic shows the main stair risers that were installed last week. The stair pans (into which precast concrete will be placed) will be welded in place over the next few days. After the stairs are installed, the main exterior glass wall will set into place (likely late September or early October).

The pic below shows a view of the first floor interior – the reverse side of the stone wall – facing east toward the chapel. The big opening on the right side is a gift shop display case which faces the main office.

The next picture down shows us the north wall, which is the only exterior wall that is 100% finished with cypress siding. We are waiting for our last delivery of wood, which will allow us to finish the remaining three faces of the building.

The bottom pic shows the metal studs which have been installed on the first and second floors. The electricians are “roughing in” the conduit for outlets and switches and drywall will be added to the walls over the next couple of weeks.