Rabbi Arthur Weiner

Five weeks ago, the legendary singer, entertainer and civil rights activist, Harry Belafonte passed away. Among the various tributes and obituaries that appeared in the media were reminders that he popularized the famous Hebrew song, Hava Nagila (Come, Let Us Rejoice). His rendition of this song, and the wide acclaim it received from both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences led him to joke to the New York Times in 2017 that his version of Hava Nagila made him “the most popular Jew in America.” That story got me thinking. Everyone knows Hava Nagila . It's popular among religious Jews, secular Jews and cultural Jews. It's beloved in Israel, and in Diaspora communities. As proven by stars like Harry Belafonte, and Josephine Baker (yes, she also had a very well-known version of this song), it's a big hit all over the world. Hockey fans might remember that there was a tradition of playing it at hockey games for many years. For over a decade, the Utah Jazz have played it af...

There are more than a few who have claimed the title, "America's Rabbi.” Others were given this title (believe it or not) by secular publications. The United States has never had a designated Chief Rabbi like so many other nations throughout the world. There are all types of important reasons for that. Indeed, I would oppose anyone serving in such a role unless it was me! But if America had a Rabbi, it would have been Rabbi Harold Kushner, who passed away on April 28, 2023. Rabbi Kushner was an amazingly successful pulpit Rabbi in Natick, Massachusetts for over 30 years. He was a gifted writer, whose method of crafting sermons, especially High Holiday sermons, strongly influenced me as I developed my own style. He was an outstanding teacher, leader and recognized as a scholar among his colleagues.   I should add that he spoke at our synagogue in 2002, as part of our congregation’s 50 th anniversary celebration.     What was it about him that made Rabbi Kushner, a...

Sadly, my Shabbat message this week will not be as upbeat as my previous several messages. As I have shared with the community in the past, I spend a lot of time reading different newspapers, magazines, and journals so I can stay on top of news and events in both the Jewish world, and the world at large. Many reading this Shabbat message do the same. But when I read, I'm also considering whether any of this important information has sermonic value.   If I determine that something would make for an interesting sermon, article, class, or message, I either start writing notes to myself immediately, or save it for future use. As you might imagine, I have saved thousands of such articles. There is only so much I can use (and so much you can take!). On February 15th , I saved the following article from USA Today: There Have Been 71 Mass Shootings in the US this Year - In Just 6 Weeks . The number shocked me. Only 45 days into the year, we were on a pace to exceed the total mas...

This Shabbat is the 49th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah. Even after all these years, there is a lot that I remember from that wonderful day. I remember that mine was the last Bar Mitzvah held in our synagogue before the social hall was renovated, and the room in which the celebratory kiddush luncheon was held made the Stark Hall (our synagogue's gymnasium) look like the Waldorf Astoria. I remember my parents being annoyed (to put it mildly) that the family of the other Bar Mitzvah that Shabbat, (in those days there were often 2 Bar Mitzvahs on the same Shabbat) spent more money on flowers than my parents spent on the kiddush luncheon. I remember my Bar Mitzvah suit that my parents bought at Robert Hall (that famous purveyor of men's clothes) for the princely sum of $32.50 including alterations! I remember how months of study in preparation for the big day really paid off, leading to my understanding of one of my favorite rabbinic lessons, according to the effort...