Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

“God’s first act was the creation of light, but human corruption restricts our vision, diminishing the radiance of existence,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Our task is to recapture that light. […]

“There is a three-year-old girl named Avigail in the Gaza dungeons. Whenever I think of her, I am devastated,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “How did it come to this — […]

Reflecting on the massacre of over 1,400 Israelis by Hamas, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch wonders: “What culture, what mindset, what belief system produces — or condones — such brutality?” This week’s […]

A week after Hamas massacred more than 1,000 Israeli civilians, “we gather for Shabbat on the day that Hamas has termed ‘A Day of Rage,’” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “These […]

At a gathering mourning the surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians and expressing solidarity with Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch said: “We saw in vivid reality what a pogrom looks […]

Fifty years after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reflects on his experience as a 14-year-old new Israeli immigrant and the Jewish state’s brilliant successes and […]

An encounter with a very non-New York couple leaves a lasting impression on Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “They reminded me of the basic truth of our tradition: that a wise person […]

From the summit of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest high in the Bavarian Alps, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch gazed upon now-tranquil Europe and reflected: “The brilliant Jewish intellectuals who helped create and define […]

“I fear that we are losing the soul of the Reform movement,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch at the opening of Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism, a two-day conference gathering more than 300 […]

Leviticus spells out what may happen if we act unjustly — in shocking detail, says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. And with disconcerting prescience, it predicts the survivors “shall stumble over one […]

“We’ve made it to 75!” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Israel’s 75th Independence Day. “The Jewish state is our supreme accomplishment and the demographic center of the Jewish world. It […]

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch struggles to understand how his dental plan could deny his claim. “Try putting yourself in another’s shoes — or the dentist’s chair,” he suggests.

“This will be the most painful sermon of my career,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch as he addresses the crisis in Israel. “Something fundamental is at stake. It is not only […]

“The purpose of the Tabernacle was to promote the high and noble ideal of God,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But the Torah focuses on the minute details of its construction. […]

Israeli archaeologists recently made a remarkable find: textile scraps containing the brilliant color of purple mentioned in this week’s parashah. “Imagine being invited to Solomon’s court and peeking into his […]

The crossing at the Red Sea was the moment everything changed. “Every Jew must consider themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, recalling our synagogue’s […]

“Congressman George Santos is young and articulate, has an amazing resume — and is a proud American Jew. There’s just one problem: none of it is true…” says Rabbi Ammi […]

Prompted by this melancholy season to ponder the passage of time, our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shares a connection that Jewish tradition draws between Jacob and Hanukkah. “We never know how […]

“I have never shied away from engaging the political process,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on the recent elections in the U.S. and Israel. Pointing out the need to constantly cultivate […]

This week’s parashah describes the construction of the Tower of Babel, and the scattering of all the peoples of the earth. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch presents differing interpretations of the tower […]

In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, God swore to destroy the Israelites. “It was Moses alone who saved them,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Leadership is about taking responsibility for […]

“The willingness to be different is integral to Judaism,” reflects Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Yom Kippur. “Our different historical experiences led to our unique sensitivity to injustice and cruelty and […]

“What can one person do to impact on the many challenges facing our world?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur, reflecting on the war in Ukraine and our […]

On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch addresses the proliferation of antisemitism on college campuses across America: “Antisemitism — even when it calls itself anti-Zionism — is a stain on the […]

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v. Wade, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch consoled: “To live in a democracy is to be defeated often. The pendulum swings from victory […]

Welcoming elite officers from the Israel National Defense College, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussed the importance of supporting Israel amid “the steadily rising temperature of Jew-hatred.” He said: “Israel has restored […]

“The fundamental religious principle is the sanctity of life,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every other religious principle flows from this foundational truth. No right is absolute. Your right to purchase […]

Every other week, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch hosts intellectually honest conversations unpacking current events through the lens of Jewish wisdom. Unbound by politics and untethered by party lines, Ammi and his […]

On the eve of our mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about why it’s so important to bear witness and bring immediate material and emotional […]

“Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine should be a clarifying moment for Jews, but also for the Western world,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in the wake of yet another terrorist attack […]

“For weeks, we’ve watched the Russian military mauling millions of innocent civilians. I am inexpressibly frustrated by simply watching,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “For this reason, our president Steven Silverstein […]

“We thought that the days of authoritarian strongmen bestriding the narrow world like a Colossus were over,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch as Russian troops bore down on Ukraine’s capital. “Now […]

“Passions have been ignited because Hellen Mirren will play Golda Meir in an upcoming movie. If a gentile cannot play a Jew, can a Jew play a gentile?” asks Rabbi […]

“Whoopi Goldberg said some truly offensive and ignorant things, but she apologized immediately and sincerely,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Repentance, forgiveness and atonement are central concepts in Judaism. And this […]

“Why a synagogue? Why Jews?” asks Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in the wake of the standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. “To fight effectively against antisemitism, it is not […]

“Trying to figure out what the world will look like tomorrow — let alone three months from now — is a monumental and deeply frustrating and draining task,” says Rabbi […]

“Rabbi Ammi Hirsch’s special holiday homily.”

“We take for granted so much about life. Most of us do not give a passing thought to deprivation. Practically none of us thinks about whether we can put food on […]

“Here we are again: another vile, virulent, vexing variant,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. In this week’s parasha, “Joseph didn’t ask, ‘Why did God create pestilence?’ He figured out how to […]

“Last week, The New York Times Magazine reported on ‘The Unraveling of American Zionism,’” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Our Reform institutions have an opportunity — and an obligation — to […]

“There are two models of succession portrayed in the Torah and haftarah portions of the week,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Abraham took his time and built his succession plan carefully. […]

“Tikkun olam — repairing the world — is an outgrowth and an expression of Judaism itself,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “But sometimes it seems to be the only value Reform […]

“At some point, everyone reaches an age when they hand over the fight to the next generation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. Which makes Abraham’s story in this week’s parasha all […]

On our most joyous festival, “Jewish tradition encourages us to study the Book of Ecclesiastes, who writes, “Everything is futile: utter futility,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. He asks: “Why, of […]

“What is going on in our schools? The task of the best educational institutions is not to tell students what to think, but to give them the tools how to […]

“Were the Ten Lost Tribes truly lost, or were they destroyed?” wonders Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur. “For some, exile is coerced. Others just drift away from our […]

“If there is one lesson to absorb from the Holocaust, it is that when someone proclaims an intention to exterminate the Jews, believe them,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, recalling a […]

Welcoming officers from the Israel National Defense College for a special Kabbalat Shabbat, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about the miracle of Israel’s existence. “Zionism is about empowerment: to rewrite the […]

“In this week’s Torah portion, Moses endured yet another rebellion. Challenge Moses all you want, but it’s hard to comprehend the constant refrain of ‘Let’s go back to Egypt,’” says […]

Commenting on the Torah portion, wherein 10 of the 12 tribal leaders sowed panic in the community, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch emphasized: “At first the scouts spoke the truth. Master liars […]