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Making Abraham an Upstander
Parashat Vayera D’var 5786 – 8 November 2025 (A video of my reading this d’var is linked at the bottom) Years ago I heard Rabbi Donniel Hartman speak about the Abraham of Genesis 18:16 – 33 versus the Abraham of Genesis 22. Rabbi Donniel taught that our choice of which Abraham speaks to us said →
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Working Towards Full Repentance – D’var Parshat Vayiggash 8738 – given 31 December 2022
When learning about the steps of Teshuvah – the repair and return to a good place that is meant to happen after we “break” a relationship, a trust, or someone else’s property – we don’t always learn about the final step – the proof that the intention behind the apology and repair was sincere and →
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Arguing for the Sake of Justice – William Cooper and Kristallnacht
“William Cooper stood to gain nothing from his actions. He had no connection to the Jews of Europe. But he knew what it was like to be persecuted based on one’s racial or ethnic identity and did not wish that on anyone else.” →
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Dancing with the Remnants – My Reflections on The Bielski Partisan Gathering
Dancing with the Remnants Marking the 75th Anniversary of Liberation from the Nazis with the Bielski Partisans Nance Morris Adler Shabbat Shuva 5780 Shomer Yisrael, Sh’mor Sh’erit Yisrael V’al yovad Yisrael, ha-omrim: Sh’ma Israel. Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel; and preserve the people of Israel, who proclaim: “Sh’ma Yisrael. →
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D’var Shabbat Shuvah 5777 – Two Modes of Reconciliation with a Difficult Past – Terezin and Berlin
Terezin or Berlin – Two Models for Reconciling with a Difficult Past Shabbat Shuvah 5777 – Parshat Vayelekh Nance Adler I hadn’t originally tied my d’var to the Parshat this week – I was focusing on the theme of t’shuva for Shabbat Shuvah – but was struck by these verses as the Torah was being →
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D’var for Shabbat Shoftim 5774 – Education as Justice
D’var on Shoftim Aug 30, 2014, 4 Elul 5774 Nance Adler (This d’var was inspired by my Fund for Teachers Fellowship in Sarajevo with Centropa and my training as a USHMM Teacher Fellow) צדק צדק תרדוף למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ אשר יי אלהיך נתן לך Justice, Justice shall you purse, that you may thrive and →
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D’var Torah – Parshat Eikev 5772
(This d’var Torah was given on August 11, 2012 at Beth Shalom, Seattle) The last two summers, while in Jerusalem, I frequently went to Kabbalat Shabbat services at Mayanot – a warm and welcoming little shul in Sha’arei Hesed. At first I wasn’t sure I really wanted to go as it has a mechitzah →
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Grasping for Moshiah or How Not to Hasten the Messianic Age
So, after reading this morning about a rabbi in B’nai Brak who has banned the use of tap water or flushing of toilets on Shabbat due to the fact that it will cause an electronic water pump to kick on, I got to thinking about all of this recent extremism among the Haredim. I try →
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My D’var for the Farewell Lunch
On Sunday a request was made for someone to give a short d’var – talk based on a Jewish text usually – on Tuesday at the farewell lunch. I had a lot I had been thinking about as a result of all the learning I have been privileged to share in here in Jerusalem and →
nancesea 