sid.schwarz Sermons and Speeches American civic division, assault on truth, chesed, erosion of American democracy, healing the American divide, kindness, Mr. Rogers
It seems appropriate to begin a Kol Nidre sermon with a small confession. The standard conversation starter in American society is: “How are you doing?” How many times are you asked that question each year? Hundreds of times. Maybe more. There probably is an App that can count it, but please don’t tell me what […]
sid.schwarz Articles communities of meaning, emerging Jewish communities, innovation, intentional communities, Jewish community, Jewish identity, social entrepreneurship
I recently was invited to make a presentation to deans from eight different rabbinical seminaries. The topic was how to better equip their students with some tools so that they can be more successful at driving innovation in the institutions that they will serve in the future. I observed that when I founded a synagogue […]
sid.schwarz Articles community building, developing world, Haiti, Jews, Jews with hammers, service learning
When I accepted an invitation from the Israeli organization, Tevel B’Tzedek, to travel to Haiti about a year after the devastating earthquake in 2010 to do some teaching for their disaster relief team on the ground, little did I know that it would lead to one of the most fulfilling projects of my rabbinic career. […]
sid.schwarz Articles activism, civics, Jewish education, Jewish teens, PANIM, social justice, social responsibility, tikkun olam
Jon Woocher and I both grew up on the South Shore of Long Island. His father was my childhood dentist and our parents were friends. Ironically, we did not know each other from our childhood; we only discovered that connection when we began to collaborate as professionals. Even before I knew Jon, his book, Sacred […]
sid.schwarz Sermons and Speeches African refugees, Asylum seekers, compassion, human rights, Israel, Passover, social justice
Note: These were remarks given at a Pre-Passover Vigil held in front of the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C. on March 27, 2018. I am Rabbi Sid Schwarz. I am the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD; a life-long Zionist and a Board member of Truah: The Rabbinic Call for […]
When I was growing up, the onset of holiday season brought endless conversations and opinions about the significance of Jews having Christmas Trees. Frankly, the topic never much interested me. I am a firm believer that if we make Judaism alive, joyous and relevant, we will get more than our share of Jews—as well as […]
sid.schwarz Articles communal thickness, covenantal community, Finding a Spiritual Home, Jewish Megatrends, social capital, synagogues
We should appreciate David Cygielman for introducing the broad eJP audience to the notion of communal “thickness” in his 11/13/17 post. As was noted in the response by Rabbi Michael Holzman, this is not a new concept. Well before the David Brooks’ column in the New York Times, sociologists have sought ways to measure the […]
sid.schwarz Sermons and Speeches ', Aging, death, grief, life's purpose, loss, purposeful living
Some sermons take longer to percolate than others. This one has taken about 15 years. That was the first time that it struck me that the lyrics to the Beatle song, “When I’m 64” would be a great hook for a sermon. I decided to give the sermon in the year I turned 64. That […]
sid.schwarz Articles, Sermons and Speeches Bill Moyers, Chautauqua Institution, communities of meaning, crisis of faith, Faith communities, Interfaith, Jewish identity
I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Chautauqua Institution (CI) about the “Crisis of Faith” in America. For those unfamiliar, CI was founded in 1874 by Methodist Bishop John Vincent as a summer camp for Sunday School teachers on the shores of Lake Chautauqua near Jamestown, NY. Today, CI functions like a summer […]
sid.schwarz Articles building spiritual communities, Clergy Leadership Incubator, CLI, communities of meaning, Hayim Herring, Kenissa, networks, organizational change, REALITY, ROI, Schusterman Foundation
Sometimes you read a book to learn about something new. But at other times you read a book to find language for that which is already part of the way you function in the world. I had the latter experience reading the new book by Rabbi Hayim Herring, Leading Congregations and Nonprofits in a Connected […]