Sermons http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/ en 2008-01-14T09:08:34-08:00 Entering the Mishkan Together-On Dedicating Our New Siddur; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2008/01/entering_the_mi.html Shabbat Shalom
Tonight we enter a new era—and more importantly we have entered sacred ground. Mishkan Tefilah, our new siddur, the new prayer book of our movement has the power to transform our understanding of ourselves, our God and our community.

]]> Aaron 2008-01-14T09:08:34-08:00 Chanukah Shabbat Sermon; Hitchen as Ebenezer Scrooge By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/12/chanukah_shabba.html Bah Hambug, Christopher Hitchens….

]]> Aaron 2007-12-12T07:33:20-08:00 AIDS: Leadership then and Leadership Needed Now; A Sermon for World AIDS DAY 2007 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/12/aids_leadership.html Shabbat Shalom,
Tonight we come together on this Sabbath for many reasons. We have initiated our Peace Illumination Project. Tonight is the first night of 10 that our building will glow with words of peace in many languages. Conceived by our Board member and Vice President Natalie Bergman and artist Bart Kresa, this is an amazing opportunity for all of us to reflect on the themes of Peace. What does Peace mean? What is Shalom, Saalam, Mir, Pace? How do we embody notions of peace? And how can we infuse our world with peace? How can we live a peaceful life?

]]> Aaron 2007-12-03T11:13:00-08:00 An Invocation for West Hollywood’s Veteran Day Observances; Delivered by Rabbi Denise L. Eger on Sunday, Nov. 11, 200: http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/11/an_invocation_f.html On this Veteran’s Day, we honor all those women and men of our armed services who have served to protect and defend our Constitution and our country. We honor their service. We honor their dignity. We honor their commitment. We pay homage to their valor and courage. We give thanks for their lives.

]]> Aaron 2007-11-12T12:49:42-08:00 “Yizkor Completes the Story of our Lives”; Sermon By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/10/yizkor_complete.html As our Yom Kippur Day draws to a close the unfolding of our life stories would be incomplete without this opportunity for Yizkor. Yizkor is a service of Remembrance. The Yizkor service helps us complete a picture of ourselves by remembering those who have died. Our stories are connected to the stories of so many others who no longer walk this earth with us. Their lives touch ours and we remain forever linked to their spirits, their souls and their legacies. As this hallowed day will soon end we recall and remember the lives of those now dead who shaped us and our narrative and now through the gift of memory continue to sculpt our the texture of our lives.

]]> Aaron 2007-10-08T09:49:47-08:00 Yom Kimpur Morning Sermon; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/10/yom_kimpur_morn.html Shana Tovah, Gmar Chatimah Tovah-May you be sealed for a good inscription this day.
First let me say how good it is to see all of you. I am glad you have made it home to our Congregation. Each year at the holidays I am filled with joy because I get to visit and connect with so many of our community. But then you get busy with your lives, your work your family and friends and despite what I know is your best intentions, temple life and Judaism get pushed further down the list of priorities for many of you. But in truth this is your home and your people. Your tribe needs you to be with us not just once or twice a year but throughout the year. . Having a community to be with makes a difference in both good times and difficult ones. Consider this your invitation from me to celebrate and to grow with us during the year.

]]> Aaron 2007-10-08T09:40:58-08:00 Kol Nidre Sermon; WHERE IS YOSSELE? AND WHERE ARE YOU? AYEKA? KOl Nidre come to help us find ourselves…….. By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/10/kol_nidre_sermo.html Shabbat Shalom. Gut Yuntif.
Recently I heard a wonderful story about a fruit seller in lower East side in New York who complained to a friend that he wasn't doing very much business. The friend said, "Well, look, you know, you're living in a very Jewish area. Do something to bring in the Jewish customers. Put on the shop 'Fresh fruit from Israel'" - which he did and he got a lot of customers. After a week he decided to go one better. 'Fresh fruit from Jerusalem.' Even more people came in. The next week he decided to go one better still and he put on the shop 'Fresh fruit from the kotel, the Western Wall. After a week his friend came in and said, "How did it work?" And he said, "Terrible! They all came in, kissed the fruit and left."

]]> Aaron 2007-10-08T09:31:09-08:00 GODISNOWHERE; By Student Rabbi Eleanor Steinman http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/10/godisnowhere_by.html Shanah tovah.
God is nowhere. Our world is filled with uncertainty these days, and so many things in our lives pull at our faith strings. Some proclaim, ‘God is nowhere’ and they know The Secret, which must be true if it’s at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The secret they say is the law of attraction. “Everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind. It’s what you’re thinking.” Doesn’t it sound warm and fuzzy? Each of us responsible for our own destiny, going about our lives trapped in our own self-absorbed universe. But then something inexplicable happens—a hurricane, an illness, an earthquake, a dip in the stock market, a death. What happens when there is no one to blame but ourselves, we have no community, we have no relationship with God?

]]> Aaron 2007-10-04T09:32:47-08:00 Zichronot; Sermon By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/09/zichronot_sermo.html Today on this Rosh Hashana I want to spend a few moments discussing the Shofar service. It is unique in its ideas and structure from all other parts of our High Holy Days.

]]> Aaron 2007-09-17T09:11:45-08:00 Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/09/erev_rosh_hasha_1.html Shana Tovah umetukah---A Sweet and Happy New Year to you all.
THESIS: The earth’s environmental woes are not only environmental disasters it is symptomatic of a deep spiritual crisis.

]]> Aaron 2007-09-17T09:08:41-08:00 Friday, August 17, 2007 Sermon; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/08/friday_august_1.html Shabbat Shalom

The poet said
One does not travel to Jerusalem, one returns
One ascends to the road taken by generations.
The path of longing on the way to redemption.
One brings rucksacks stuffed with memories to each mountain and each hill,
In the cobbled white alleyways one offers a blessing
For memories of the past which have been renewed.
One does not travel to Jerusalem, one returns.

]]> Aaron 2007-08-22T10:08:03-08:00 A sence of entitelment Sermon; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/06/a_sence_of_enti.html In this week’s torah portion—Korach, Moses and Aaron’s cousin, challenges them for the leadership of the people. He along with Dathan and Abiram stir up quite a hornet’s nest of protest. They along with 250 other leaders of the tribes gather against God’s chosen leadership to demand a share in leading the people. They feel entitled to be the leaders saying “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them and Adonai is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves above God’s congregation?” (Numbers 16:3).

]]> Aaron 2007-06-18T09:30:57-08:00 Harvey Milk and Gay Pride Sermon; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/06/harvey_milk_and.html Shabbat Shalom

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the six day war. In June of 1967 Israel stunned the world with its lightening ability to hold back and neutralize and defeat the combined Arab armies of Syria, Jordan and Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia. On June 5 1967 all of its air force but 12 planes left to pre-emptively strike the Egyptian air force destroying it on the ground. From June 5-7 the Israeli army fought an extensive campaign in the Sinai desert and Gaza where Egyptian forces had been massing over the course of the last several months. Israel took advantage though of the lack of coordination between Egyptian troops, Israelis complete air superiority and the lightening speed of the advance made the Egyptians run. On the front of the West Bank, Jordan was reluctant to enter the war but they did so attacking Jerusalem and trying to reach toward Tel Aviv. Israeli forces fought back and by June 6 Israeli forces were in place and fought back encircling Jerusalem with paratroopers at the Battle of Ammunition Hill and on June 7 Israeli forces marched into the Old City capturing the Temple Mount for the first time in 2000 years! The battle for at the Northern border took longest –by June 9 and 10th Israeli forces had pushed back the Syrian troops to the plateau of the Golan Heights. The ceasefire was signed on June 10. Israel had captured all of Sinai, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. Tiny Israel had the sheer tenacity and will to fight for its survival against the Arab forces who were building up their armies to attack and push Israel into the sea.

]]> Aaron 2007-06-14T10:13:34-08:00 Memorial Day Blessing; Sermon By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/05/memorial_day_bl.html Shabbat Shalom

Although summer doesn’t officially begin until the summer solstice in June –we all know that this weekend marks the start of the summer season—Memorial Day weekend. Break out the white shoes, the BBQ grill and see if you have enough sun tan lotion left over from last summer! Shop the weekend Memorial Day sales! But it is a sad irony that this weekend is so filled with outdoor entertaining, sports events and picnics and relaxing. We have forgotten as a country that Memorial Day was a time in our country to remember those who gave their lives while serving in our Armed Forces.

]]> Aaron 2007-05-29T09:48:38-08:00 Shabbat Beha; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger http://www.kol-ami.org/sermons/archive/2007/05/shabbat_beha_by.html Shabbat Shalom

This week’s Torah portion Behar/Behukotai has within it a radical plan for wealth redistribution. We don’t think of the Torah necessarily as an economic text. But all areas of life are touched by our tradition including the economic structure of the ideal society. The sabbatical year –or shemitta year is nothing short of a wealth redistribution plan. It is a way to uplift the poor and remind those with means of their communal obligations.

]]> Aaron 2007-05-14T11:38:10-08:00