Sermons and Rabbinic Texts

The Two-Way Street | Tu Bishevat: Coming in from the storms

Winter in Israel reminds us mightily that, like the weather, there are forces tearing at the fabric of life and...

The Two-Way Street | Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah is a time for miracles, family activities, fried foods and the illumination of ideas. Whether you spell it Chanukah,...

The Two-Way Street | L’Shana Tova!

L’shana Tova! This year, the Two-Way Street is presenting three Divrei Torah for the Yamim Nora’im, with the goal of...

High Holidays Sermon Prompts for 5780

As Jewish clergy, we often feel called to speak about Israel on the High Holidays -- and as progressives, we...

The Two-Way Street | Tisha B’Av

Tisha B’Av is a Jewish day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, among other events.

The Two-Way Street | For Such A Moment

In the story of Purim, God is glimpsed only through the acts of human beings in solidarity with one another....

The Two-Way Street | Sobering Thoughts in Advance of Purim

An old Yiddish expression speaks of a topsy-turvy person as one who is “drunk the whole year and sober on...

The Two-Way Street | The Ten Commandments: Redux

I sometimes fantasize about what an updated version of The Ten Commandments would look like. The following four Torah portions...

The Two-Way Street: Mar Cheshvan — The Bitter Month

How bitter to read about prominent American Jews like Peter Beinart being detained at Ben Gurion Airport for voicing views...