Incredible Israel

Rabbi Berk’s sermon given on Friday, December 18, 2015. On Sunday our 11th graders leave on Beth Israel’s Shearn and Linda Platt Teen Trip to Israel. I can’t tell you how proud I am of Beth Israel for developing this program; how grateful I am to Shearn and Linda Platt,...

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Rabbi Berk’s Thanksgiving Sermon

To Have a Grateful Disposition I happen to be a fan of David Brooks, the New York Times philosopher in residence. An article that caught my eye a few months ago was on gratitude. You have to love a story that begins the way he began that article: “I’m sometimes...

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Why Jewish Extremists are Not Jewish

Shabbat Nahamu Remarks by Rabbi Michael Berk I’m going to say something more chutzpadik than normal for me: If you are not shocked and horrified by the murder of a Palestinian baby and the severe injuries to his family by a fire started by Jewish extremist terrorists, than you lose...

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Yom Ha’Atzmaut 2015 Sermon

By Rabbi Michael Berk I think if you want to understand the complexity of Israel’s on the edge of its 67th anniversary, it’s important to understand the two holydays we’ve just celebrated. First in this holiday cycle is Purim. Purim represents the story of the Jewish people throughout most of...

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