Rabbis For Human Rights - North America

Divrei Torah

“A certain non-Jew came before Shammai and said to him, ‘I will convert to Judaism, on the condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.’ Shammai chased him away... He came before Hillel and said to him, ‘Convert me.’ Hillel said to him, ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn it.” (Shabbat 31A)

Divrei Torah

• Going to the Dogs: A D'var Torah for Parshat Mishpatim 2012/5772 by Rabbi Ruth Gais.


• Reversals on the Path to Freedom: A D'var Torah for Parshat Beshallah 2012/5772 by Rabbi Ron Aigen.


• Hearing the Cry of Oppression: A D'var Torah for Parshat Va'era 2012/5772 by Rabbi Jarah Greenfield.


• Equal Blessings: A D'var Torah for Parashat Vayechi 2012/5772 by Rabbi Laura Geller.


• Zealotry: A Religious Stance?: A D'var Torah for Chanukah 2011/5772 by Rabbi Jill Jacobs.


• True Teshuvah: A D'var Torah for Parshat Vayishlach 2011/5772 by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster.

 

• Human Rights Shabbat 2011:
  • Forgiveness Beyond Borders, Rabbi Alana Suskin
  • Who is Wise, Powerful, Wealthy, and Honored? , David Spinrad
  • Jerusalem's Many Faces, Marisa James
  • The Necessity of K'vod Habriot in an Age of Terror, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
  • The Pain of Projection: Understading Islamophobia while in Arabia , Rabbi Simkha Weintraub

• The Dead and the Living in Hebron: A D'var Torah for Parshat Hayei Sarah 2011/5772 by Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman.


• Welcoming in the Stranger: A D'var Torah for Parshat Vayera 2011/5772 by Rabbi Marc Soloway.


• We’re All in the Same Boat: A D'var Torah for Parshat Noach 2011/5772 by Rabbi Maurice Harris.


• Sukkot without a Guilty Conscience: A D'var Torah by Rabbi Jill Jacaobs for Sukkot 2011/5772 about slavery in America's tomato fields.

• On Power, Hope, and Change: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah, 2011/5772, by Rabbi Barbara Penzner.

• Call Me, Ishmael: A sermon for Rosh Hashanah 2011/5772 by Rabbi Burton L. Visotzky.

• Cast Out in the Be’er Sheva Desert: Hagar, Ishmael, and the Bedouin of the Negev: A sermon for the first day of Rosh Hashanah 2011/5772 by Rabbi Joyce Galaski.

 

• I Command You This Day: A D'var Torah for Parshat Ki Tavo 2011/5771 by Rabbi Barry Leff.

 

• Healing Speech: A Teaching about Jewish-Muslim solidarity for the 9/11 anniversary: Prepared by Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer for September 11, 2011.

 

• Responding Pastorally in Advance of the 9/11 Anniversary: Reflections and Guidance: Prepared by Rabbi Nancy Wiener for September 11, 2011.

 

• On the 10th Anniversary of 9/11: Some Meditations About War (accompanied by a text study): Prepared by Rabbi Aryeh Cohen for September 11, 2011.

 

• Labor Day: A Jewish Holiday: A Dvar Torah for Labor Day 2011/5771 by Rabbi Aaron Levy.

• Can We Talk? A Dvar Torah for Parashat Ekev 2011/5771 by Rabbi Jill Jacobs.

• A D'var Torah for Shavuot and Torture Awareness Month: Prepared by Rabbi Aryeh Cohen for Shavuot 2011/5771.

• Jonah & Eleh Ezkarah: A Yom Kippur Sermon on Empathy and Compassion by Rabbi Ed Feld.

 

• Shabbat Zachor: Prepared by Rabbi Ed Feld for Shabbat Zachor 2009/5769, the Shabbat before Purim.

 

• Hide and Seek: A Sermon for Rosh Hashanah by Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg from 2005/5766.

 

• These Things I Remember and I Pour Out My Heart Out: A Sermon for Kol Nidre 2005/5766 by Rabbi Ellen Lippmann.

 

• Call of the Shofar: A High Holidays sermon about torture and indefinite detention by Rabbi Ed Feld from 2007/5768.

 

• Waterboarding and K'vod Habriot: A Senior Sermon Delivered at Hebrew Union College in 2008 by Rabbi Ari Rosenberg.

 

• Falling in Love Again with Israel: Thoughts for the High Holidays 2008/5769 by Rabbi Ellen Lippmann.

 

• The 11th Commandment: A D'var Torah for Va-Etchanan: Delivered by Hanan Isaacs at the Princeton Jewish Center in 2008.

 

• In the Image of God: Tzelem Elokeem: Prepared by Rabbi Charles Feinberg for Rosh Hashanah, 2008/5769

 

• Slavery Then and Now: In this sermon, Rabbi Gordon Tucker discusses the problem of modern slavery and describes his experience visiting sites from the African slave trade.

 

• The Call of the Shofar: A sermon for Rosh Hashanah 2009/5770 by Rabbi Charles Feinberg, describing the problem of modern slavery in America and what we can do to solve it.

 

• A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Slavery: Rabbi David Stern’s Rosh Hashanah sermon from 2008/5769.

 

• Sermon Talking Points on Detention for Parshat Vayeshev: Sermon talking points prepared by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster for Human Rights Shabbat 2009 about Parshat Vayashev and the ongoing controversy about indefinite or preventive detention of detainees in the war on terror.

 

• Sermon Talking Points on Slavery for Parshat Vayeshev: Sermon talking points prepared by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster for Human Rights Shabbat 2009 about Parshat Vayashev and the issue of slavery.

 

• Continuing to Talk about U.S.-Sponsored Torture: Sermon Talking Points: Sermon talking points by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster for Human Rights Shabbat 2009 that address why it is important to continue fighting against U.S.-sponsored torture and the continued encroachment on American civil liberties caused by the war on terror.

 

• Closing Guantanamo: A Drash for Parshat Vaera 2010: By Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster.

 

• Righteousness, Justice, and Reuben Fulfilled: A Dvar Torah by Rabbi Menachem Creditor for Parshat VaYeshev 2010/5770.

 

• Trees are Precious: Prepared by Rabbi Paula Marcus for Tu B'Shvat 2010/5770.

 

• Planting for the Future in Israel: By Rabbi Paula Marcus.

 

• Torture and Violence Are Not the Answer: A Dvar Torah on Parshat Shelah-Lekha bu Abby Cohen, June 2010.

 

• First Do No Harm: Balaam and the Ethics of Responsibility: A Dvar Torah on Parshat Balak and torture by Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, June 2010.

• From Mourning to Celebration: A d'var torah by Rabbi Jill Jacobs.

 

• Talking Points on Indefinite and Arbitrary Detention, High Holidays, 2010/5771: By Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster.

 

• Talking Points on Slavery and Human Trafficking, High Holidays, 2010/5771: By Rabbi Rachel Khan-Troster.

 

• Sermon on Justice and Respect in Israel: A sermon for the High Holidays, 2010 by Rabbi Robert Dobrusin.

 

• Sukkot and Our Bedouin Problem: Movable Booths, Dreams of Going Home: Prepared for Sukkot 2010/5771 by Rabbi Joey Wolf.

 

• Yom Kippur Sermon on Sex Trafficking 2010/5771: By Rabbi Aaron Fine.

 

• Modern Slavery and the Jewish Commitment to Human Dignity: By Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster for Human Rights Shabbat, December 2010.

 

• Reflects on Her Trip to Israel with Rabbis for Human Rights-North America. By Rabbi Debora Gordon for Human Rights Shabbat, December 2010.

 

• Human Rights vs. Human Obligations. By Rabbi Barry (Baruch) Leff, Co-Chair of Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel for Human Rights Shabbat, December 2010.

 

• Indefinite Detention and Jewish Sources on Justice. By Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster for Human Rights Shabbat, December 2010.

• Human Dignity: By Rabbi Art Green, November 2007