Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
244 episodes — Page 1 of 5
Finding Happiness in the Wilderness of Life
Roald Dahl on Broadway
The Week That Was
Life in Death Valley
The sight of wildflowers blooming in Death Valley is a symbol of our times, beautifully articulated by Rabbi Rifkin, who expresses that, “these Death Valley wildflowers gave me pause. Not […]
Seconds From Carnage
“We gather today because it is Shabbat. On some level, to be a Jew is itself an act of defiance,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, who expressed relief — and immense […]
On the Iran War
Rabbi Hirsch says emphatically that, “the Iranian threat is not only military, economic, and political. It is also ideological. We must grapple seriously with the ramifications of allowing this radical […]
Skin in the Game
Most people think Exodus is about “slavery, the ten plagues, the splitting of the Sea, and the Ten Commandments,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But “a full third is about the […]
The Era of American Vertigo
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch sees New York’s icy streets as a good metaphor for America today. “The stability under our feet that we have always taken for granted seems much less […]
On Life in America Today
As America has faced crisis after crisis — with attacks on the Federal Reserve and the courts, and masked, heavily armed federal agents patrolling the streets — Rabbi Ammi Hirsch […]
Bondi Beach
“When we kindle the last light of the menorah, the sun will be at its peak down under. But for our people, even the glow of the full menorah will […]
Pay Attention
“Our tendency — like the frog in the pot — is not to notice changes until events reach a boiling point,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. One overlooked verse in this […]
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“I recall the many learned and optimistic thought pieces in the early days of social media that proclaimed the dawn of a new and better world. We now understand that […]
On the Election of Zohran Mamdani
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch congratulates New York City Mayor-elect Zohran K. Mamdani and applauds the democratic process while reiterating his deep concern over the future mayor’s commitment to anti-Zionism that could […]
Our Three Names: A Message to the Young Jews of America
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch addresses young Jews directly, urging them to embrace the burden and privilege of carrying Jewish life forward: “You are our future… my generation will […]
Hopefully
On Erev Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch ponders the nature of hope in these dark times and urges us to reject “syrupy saccharine” optimism and instead embrace the active, Jewish […]
Two Years On
On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reflects on the lasting wounds of October 7 and the burden of living with both power and vulnerability. He urges us to be, as […]
The Tug-of-War Inside Ourselves
Underneath the Torah’s rules of war lies a deeper message about how we should wage our own internal struggles, says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “We are who we are in part […]
Believe Them
Jews have often wondered how the Holocaust was even possible. “October 7 is how it happens. A nuclear-armed Iran is how it happens,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, commenting on Israel’s […]
Stay Strong
In the aftermath of the murders in Washington, D.C., and the firebombing of peaceful, mostly elderly Jews in Boulder, Colorado, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch asks: “How do we stay strong?” Looking […]
It is Not Too Late
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch honors the memory of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were gunned down in “the springtime of their lives” at a Jewish event outside a Jewish museum. […]
While The Storms Rage: Thinking of Van Gogh
In these hyper-tense times, Rabbi Hirsch worries we’ve become “so overwhelmed with the fury of our relentless politics as to leave little time or space for Jewish reflection.” And while […]
The Calling
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch has been hearing from many American Jews who are “deeply concerned — not only about many specific polices and executive actions, but about the very soul of […]
Thinking About the Red Carpet
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the magnificent clothing of the priests described in this week’s Torah portion. “Why all this elaborate fashion?” he asks. “For beauty and glory… to honor the […]
The Agony and the Ecstasy
This week was a turning point for Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “What the Bibas family symbolizes — the concretization and normalization of pure evil in the face of pure innocence — […]
The Coming Years
Two weeks into Donald Trump’s second term, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reminds us that our religious and moral values must guide us as we pursue national policies — and that our […]
The Normalization of Evil
Having just returned from Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shares his own feelings upon witnessing the first Israeli hostages being released and explains: “The entire country broke down in tears… secular […]
The Hostage Release Deal
“After 16 months of physical and emotional torture, 33 Israeli hostages will be coming home,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, expressing his deep gratitude for their return. “The need now is […]
The Festival of Jewish Survival
Recounting the story of our people’s unlikely endurance, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reminds us that “a hundred generations of the descendants of Judah Maccabee have transmitted Judaism to you” and asks […]
Dream Interpretation
In this week’s parashah, Jacob dreams of angels climbing a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with God promising to return the descendants of Israel to the Land of Israel. […]
Here We Go Again
Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Rabbi Hirsch worries about the future of democratic intuitions, reflects on the anti-Zionism and antisemitism and the left’s abandonment of liberalism […]
On The Character of Man: What a Piece of Work
“The contrast between our high self-image and the base evil we are capable of has long baffled and intrigued the greatest minds of our species,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. The […]
October 7: A Year Later
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shared the range of emotions experienced by Jews since October 7, 2023, including anger, love, sorrow, mutual responsibility and determination to recover. Addressing young […]
The Most Important Verse in the Bible
“What is the most important verse in the Bible?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur. “You have all these grand ethical principles: monotheism, equality, justice, humanity, mercy, loving-kindness, […]
The Tests of Our Time
“For Jews, our deepest anxieties for the safety of our people — the product of centuries of repressed traumas — have reawakened and our confidence in the West’s ability to […]
A Message of Jewish Resilience
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch opens the Rosh Hashanah evening services with a message of resilience: “There is a stone slab in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It was carved around the […]
Do Not Be Indifferent
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the unsettling feeling that world events are driving history. Yet he reminds us of Judaism’s central plea: You must not remain indifferent. “Compassion is not […]
A Prayer for the Hostages
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch shares his grief over the crushing loss of the six Israeli hostages and prays for the speedy return of the hostages still alive in captivity.
Seeing One Another
In this week’s parashah, God commands, ‘See, this day I set before you blessing and curse.’ Rabbi Dalia Samansky asks, “What does it mean to SEE rather than HEAR?” She […]
Cicadas
“Have you been following the emergence of what may be as many as a trillion cicadas throughout the Midwest and Southeast?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. Maybe not. “New Yorkers don’t […]
Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism 2024
“This is an existential moment, not only for Israel, but for us in North America. We are in the midst of a great ideological struggle, the outcome of which will […]
Campus Chaos
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch has been warning for years that America’s campuses have been devolving into hotbeds of radical and illiberal theories. “The reason that the protests have descended into outrageous […]
Climate Change on American Campuses
“Our Sages teach: ‘Fire does not ignite in a lone stick of wood, but in a pile of kindling.’ American campuses have been drying up for a long time,” says […]
After a Scary Night in Israel…
After a scary night that saw 300 missiles and attack drones launched at Israel by the Iranian regime, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch delivers a message to the congregation and a prayer […]
While Picking Strawberries in Israel
On our recent mission to Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch scheduled time for our congregation to pick strawberries. But he didn’t expect that morning to be among the most moving of […]
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch at Rally for the Hostages
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at New York City’s historic 116-year-old Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and one of America’s foremost Reform Zionist leaders, delivered remarks at a rally on April […]
After Five Months of War
“In many ways it is still October 7th. Time froze,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, offering his perspective of where we are five months later, on the Shabbat before embarking for […]
The Moral Flame
In this week’s parashah, we read about “the eternal flame” — the lamp that burned continuously in the Tabernacle. “The light of the eternal flame, according to our Sages, is […]
Some Thoughts on Jury Duty
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch offers impressions from his two long days of jury duty: “There is no such thing as perfect justice. Everything human is filled with human imperfections. The entire […]
Understanding Antisemitism: A Satire
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch takes a satirical look at antisemitism.
Safe Spaces
“When we consider our way of life, the great American institutions of higher learning play a critical role. Conformity and groupthink portend the dangerous decline of liberalism and, with it, […]