Recent Sermons
Morality and the Jewish State – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – October 19, 2018
Shalom Chaverim Is the Torah the sole source of morality or are there moral voices independent of, even in contradiction to, the word of God? This essential question of religious life has been debated for thousands of years and it continues to be relevant. For example, new sensitivities around gender, sexuality, pluralism, tolerance of the other, etc. challenge traditional religious moral codes and law. Where...
read moreA Noble Legacy – A Weekly Letter from Rabbi Alexander Davis – October 12, 2018
Shalom Chaverim, Over this past week, I enjoyed reading about the 2018 Nobel Prize winners. These leaders in their fields are changing our world for the better. So, too did Alfred Nobel himself. Nobel amassed a fortune as a Swedish munition’s manufacturer. Among other things, he invented dynamite. What motivated him to dedicate his estate to honor and reward those who benefit humanity? It was...
read moreAnd Man Shall Rule Over Woman – A Weekly Letter from Rabbi Davis – October 5, 2018
Shalom Chaverim To the woman God said, “In pain will you bear children. Yet your desire shall be for your husband. And he shall rule over you” (Gen. 3:16). Given the news from the past few weeks, I was drawn to this verse from this week’s parasha, Bereshit, the beginning of the Torah. In the aftermath of Adam and Eve’s transgression (eating the forbidden fruit),...
read moreSukkot: Sheltering America’s Homeless
Sukkot: Sheltering America’s Homeless 13 Tishrei 5779 – September 22, 2018 Rabbi Alexander Davis This past summer, I traveled with my family back to my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I always love visiting Portland. I think of it as one of America’s great cities- the beautiful skyline, parks, food scene, bookstores, vibrant downtown, and more. But Portland has gained another kind of reputation; unfortunately it’s...
read moreNew For Sukkot – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – September 21, 2018
Shalom Chaverim, With Yom Kippur behind us, we turn our attention to Sukkot. Usually, right after I break my fast, I go outside and start building my sukkah. But this year, the timing made that nearly impossible. We go from Yom Kippur to Shabbat to Sukkot in quick succession. So, l had to start building long before Sukkot. This reminds me of a teaching. For...
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