Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

“We are witnessing the fracturing of liberal Judaism along the same fissures as a century ago – our sense of Jewish identity,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Do we belong to […]

“I mourn the loss of life already inflicted, and lament the many further tragedies that will befall both Israelis and Palestinians in the days ahead,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every […]

“This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most profound passages in the history of civilization,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch: “‘You shall proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the […]

“It is gratifying that justice was served, but it is not full justice. Nothing can restore what was taken,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The most important result of the brutality […]

“Passover reflects and embodies the idea of liberation, while Shavuot reflects and embodies the idea of responsibility. The festivals are inseparable,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Every day of counting the […]

“Discoveries related to our ancestors reduce me to mushy emotional slop,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch following new archeological findings in Israel this week. “To look at these ancient Jewish artifacts […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch praised Israel’s Supreme Court for its landmark ruling this week requiring that people who converted to Judaism in Israel under the auspices of Reform and Conservative rabbis […]

“The Bible offers two models of salvation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, “the Exodus and Purim. Judaism’s approach to history assumes that as the eras unfold divine intervention becomes less prominent […]

“Few know that a full third of the Book of Exodus is about the minute details of building the Tabernacle,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “I think that it is to […]

“To stand against the crowd requires courage,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflecting on the impeachment trial and this week’s parasha. “Moral courage is the human ingredient that is most difficult […]

“Few of us take the commandment mandating Shabbat observance seriously or even realize that it’s one of the Ten Commandments,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Freeing up time is why God […]

Soon after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they were attacked by the Amalekites. Throughout the battle, “Moses raised his hands and kept them steady until sunset — so the […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the stress of the past four years and his emotional reaction to the inauguration of President Joe Biden. “As I watched, I felt the heaviness […]

In this week’s parasha, the Torah says that a frog — written in the singular — started the surge that covered Egypt. Rabbis Elazar and Akiva argue: were the other […]

“Democracy is hard. It requires constant and loving cultivation,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “May it be that one day we will look back upon these days and conclude that the […]

“It is not for human beings to predict the future. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on New Year’s Day. “Jewish tradition is emphatic: the […]

“I love when Christmas falls on Shabbat,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It gives me an opportunity to remind myself that Judaism is both universal and particular: that we unite with […]

In this week’s parasha, we learn that “not only does Joseph constantly dream big dreams, he also has a unique capacity to interpret dreams,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “The Talmud […]

This week’s parasha reminds us that it can all change in the blink of an eye, says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “As you gaze into the lights of the menorah, feel […]

“Sometimes, prevailing is just enduring,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “That is the key lesson of this week’s Torah portion.” When wrestling with his unknown assailant, “Jacob does not relent, hoping […]

“Have you given thanks this week?” asks Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It’s challenging to express gratitude when we are enduring hardship. Take some time this Thanksgiving weekend just to be thankful. […]

In this week’s parashah, Abraham’s trusted servant devises a test to find a wife for Isaac. “Once Eliezer saw Rebecca, he relaxed his standards,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “He realized […]

Mourning the passing of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z’’l, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said: “Blessed with dazzling brilliance, Rabbi Sacks helped millions answer life’s central questions and dilemmas. And in so […]

“As the Trump presidency ends we must work to strengthen the institutions of democracy,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It turns out that the protecting walls of American democracy are more […]

“I am deeply worried about our country,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on the Shabbat before Election Day. “The American experiment rests on two central propositions that are under withering assault: […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch wades into the controversy surrounding the casting of Gal Gadot as Cleopatra that’s been roiling the Twitterverse: “Why shouldn’t an Israeli portray an ancient Middle Eastern queen? […]

I love Simchat Torah at Stephen Wise. Our celebrations are different this year: we won’t be outside and we won’t even do hakafot inside the sanctuary,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. […]

“The increasing tendency in 21st-century America to affirm one acceptable answer is profoundly illiberal, even if it comes from the Left,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Yom Kippur. “For years […]

“On this Day of Atonement, we sense our human vulnerability as never before,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “Remain steadfast. Even now, in the dimness of the cave — at this, […]

On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delivered a message of hope and moral clarity: “We will never surmount the racial breach in our country without a willingness to step into […]

“Justice was her first name,” said our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah, mourning the death yesterday of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “How fortunate to be able to […]

On the first Shabbat back in our sanctuary, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses this week’s parasha, “Ki Tetze” — “When You Go Out.”: “Perhaps because ‘Ki Tetze’ begins with going out […]

“Today is an important day: June 19th, the day that the emancipation finally arrived to the slaves of Galveston. It wasn’t the exact day they were freed, recalled the descendants […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses George Floyd’s death and our country’s yearning for justice.

Judaism was never big on self-denial,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussing this week’s parashah. “Holiness is expressed through ethical actions. Fundamentalists and extremists distort the mainstream Jewish tradition of seeking […]

As we begin the Book of Numbers this week, Rabbi Samantha Natov explores how we redefine who we are in this liminal space and how this moment in time offers […]

Passover and Shavuot are linked conceptually, which is why we count down the days,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “You can’t have freedom — Passover — without law — Shavuot. If […]

“If you shall follow my laws…” begins this week’s parashah. “That word ‘if’ is one of the most consequential words,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “It connotes all of the uncertainties […]

Bigger people have a responsibility to smaller people.” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the obligations outlined in this week’s parashah, Emor. “To diminish people who are not quite as big in […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch delves into what the this week’s parashah has to say about labor and providing for those less fortunate: “Why do we have obligations to those who cannot […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch has always been a bit intimidated by this week’s parasha, Tazria-Metzora, which deals with treating those afflicted with disease. “It lays out a path for these people […]

“New York’s streets are silent now, but our city will come back noisy as ever,” says our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “As we rebuild, we, ourselves, will be rebuilt.”

On Shabbat morning during Passover, Rabbi Samantha Natov discussed Moses’ crisis of faith which paralleled that of the Israelites’, leading them to create the Golden Calf. “The first thing Moses […]

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch asks what kind of person each of us will be when we emerge from social isolation and finds guidance from Jewish tradition.

On the Shabbat before Passover, each Israelite household was commanded to watch over a lamb for four days before using its blood to mark their doorposts. “God wanted the Israelites […]

“We read in the Book of Daniel, ‘thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.’ We must pass this test — or there will be incalculable human suffering,” says […]

We never really think about how connected we are with everybody else,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. “This week’s Torah portion emphasizes that Moses assembled the entire people of Israel in […]

As we focus on “social distancing” and staying healthy in the challenging months ahead, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges us “to focus on the things that really matter to us: life, […]

“When we are anxious and afraid, we often act unintelligently — with little wisdom and with pervasive cruelty,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. As the coronavirus looms, what we need is […]

As our country grapples with political turmoil and gears up for another divisive election, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch contemplates the moral character of leaders. “The indispensable criterion for leadership is moral […]