Rabbi Harris
An Hour with Mr. Schwartz – Yizkor Yom Kippur 5777
Posted on October 20, 2016Last night, I spoke about how we live in an era of Disruptive Judaism. I focused on opportunities to rethink and recontextualize three areas: ritual, Israel and community. Now, I want to focus on a specific ritual some in your family probably benefited from but you may not have known. It is one of the […] Continue Reading »
Disrupted Judaism – High Holidays 5777
Posted on October 20, 2016We are living in a time of Disruption. It seems to be the phrase of the day. There was a time when if your phone service was disrupted, you were upset. But today, we strive to disrupt industries, products, ideas, and services. Disruption means to end one way of doing things and reinvent the process […] Continue Reading »
Looking Out; Looking In; Looking Up: A Vision for Beth El
Posted on October 1, 2015Looking Out; Looking In; Looking Up: A Vision for Beth El Rabbi Greg Harris Congregation Beth El, Bethesda, Maryland High Holidays 5776 I stand here filled with gratitude. We have a blessing for such a moment – the Shehecheyanu. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained […] Continue Reading »
Yom Kippur Yizkor 5776 – Building a Moral Legacy
Posted on October 1, 2015Building a Moral Legacy Rabbi Greg Harris Congregation Beth El, Bethesda, Maryland Yom Kippur Yizkor 5776 Yizkor is not complicated. It is a simple service. Unlike other parts of the day, Yizkor is only about 15 minutes long. There are not a lot of prayers or obscure liturgy. The readings are poignant to this moment […] Continue Reading »
Sukkot 5775 – Building a Sukkat Shlomecha
Posted on October 13, 2014There are many beautiful explanations and metaphors for the Sukkah. From the understanding of the sukkah as a simple shelter that was built as farmers were in the fields for the Fall harvest to many spiritual and mystical images, the Sukkah is part of an amazing tradition. I love the metaphor of the sukkah as […] Continue Reading »
Yom Kippur Yizkor 5775 – Longing for a Voice
Posted on October 7, 2014What do you long for? Think about it. What do you long for? I’m not talking about material objects – a new kitchen or car or clothing. Be careful not to confuse longing with coveting. It is OK to long for something. In Psalm 42 it says: As a deer longs for a stream of […] Continue Reading »
Rosh Hashanah 5775 – Falling in Love Again
Posted on October 6, 2014I fell in love when I was 16. Looking back, it was a complicated relationship even back then. I have learned that in a true relationship, it is possible to feel contradictory emotions at the same moment: Love and Frustrations; Hope and Disappointment. You can be Inspired and feel Taken for Granted. Who did I […] Continue Reading »
Passover 5774 – Signs to Notice
Posted on April 30, 2014I am tired of giving sermons like this. It seems like every few months we are responding to a tragedy. Each time we are left asking if we missed indicators that the assailant was on the brink. Were there signs to notice? On Sunday, there was a shooting at the JCC in Kansas City in […] Continue Reading »
The Most Interesting Conversations: High Holidays 5774
Posted on April 6, 2014It is hard for me to believe that my oldest child is about to become a bar mitzvah. Benjamin, or Ben as he now likes to be called, was just a year and a half old when we moved from New York to Bethesda. We have added two more children to the mix and countless […] Continue Reading »