Religious Life

Recent Sermons

Zionism’s Infinite Ideal

Zionism’s Infinite Ideal Vayera 28 Tevet 5779 | January 5, 2018 Rabbi Alexander Davis History. Family. Connection. Conflict. I added Tarbut, culture. As we went around the circle, each person shared one word that for them captured the meaning of Israel. It was the opening night of our family tour to Israel. 39 of us traveled to the Holy Land, some for the first time...

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My Undercover Tour of Hevron – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – January 4, 2019

Shalom Chaverim, I just returned from two weeks in Israel and over the coming weeks would like to share some reflections on my experiences. One of the most interesting and intense experiences was a dual narrative tour of Hevron in which I heard the perspective of both Jewish settlers and local Palestinians. The all-day tour was run by a Jerusalem hostel and attracted mostly people...

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Lost In Translation

Lost In Translation Vayigash 7 Tevet 5779 | December 15, 2018 Rabbi Alexander Davis At an event this week, I made my way over to the snack table when someone I didn’t know came up to me and said, “So rabbi, what happens after you die?” With a mouth full of pita chips and humus I said, “I’ll let you know when I get there.”...

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Bringing God to Work – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Alexander Davis – December 14, 2018

Shalom Chaverim, Recently, I was visiting a patient at Fairview University Hospital. Walking to the main entrance, I looked up at a new wing of the hospital under construction and was immediately struck by what I saw. Spray painted on one of the beams was a simple message of hope and strength from the metal workers: “Get well soon.”  What a lovely gesture. Clearly the...

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Embodying the Maccabees – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Davis – November 30, 2018

Shalom Chaverim It has been a busy week of life cycles with brises, a baby naming, b’nai mitzvah and unfortunately, funerals. As we look ahead to Chanukah and as I officiated at these s’machot, I got to thinking about brit milah.* In some parts of the American Jewish community, circumcision has become an optional mitzvah where it used to be a given. In Europe, there...

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Giving Thanks For Our Freedom – A Weekly Letter From Rabbi Alexander Davis – November 21, 2018

Shalom Chaverim, On this Thanksgiving and despite what we witnessed in Pittsburgh, I am thankful for America which has been a welcome home for Jews since our earliest of days. We see that in an exchange of letters between Moses Seixas and President George Washington. Moses Seixas (Mar. 28, 1744- Nov. 29, 1809) was a first generation Jewish-American. His parents had fled religious persecution and...

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