On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch addresses young Jews directly, urging them to embrace the burden and privilege of carrying Jewish life forward: “You are our future… my generation will […]
On Erev Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch ponders the nature of hope in these dark times and urges us to reject “syrupy saccharine” optimism and instead embrace the active, Jewish […]
On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reflects on the lasting wounds of October 7 and the burden of living with both power and vulnerability. He urges us to be, as […]
Underneath the Torah’s rules of war lies a deeper message about how we should wage our own internal struggles, says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “We are who we are in part […]
Jews have often wondered how the Holocaust was even possible. “October 7 is how it happens. A nuclear-armed Iran is how it happens,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, commenting on Israel’s […]
In the aftermath of the murders in Washington, D.C., and the firebombing of peaceful, mostly elderly Jews in Boulder, Colorado, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch asks: “How do we stay strong?” Looking […]
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch honors the memory of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were gunned down in “the springtime of their lives” at a Jewish event outside a Jewish museum. […]
In these hyper-tense times, Rabbi Hirsch worries we’ve become “so overwhelmed with the fury of our relentless politics as to leave little time or space for Jewish reflection.” And while […]
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch has been hearing from many American Jews who are “deeply concerned — not only about many specific polices and executive actions, but about the very soul of […]
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the magnificent clothing of the priests described in this week’s Torah portion. “Why all this elaborate fashion?” he asks. “For beauty and glory… to honor the […]
This week was a turning point for Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “What the Bibas family symbolizes — the concretization and normalization of pure evil in the face of pure innocence — […]
Two weeks into Donald Trump’s second term, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reminds us that our religious and moral values must guide us as we pursue national policies — and that our […]
Having just returned from Israel, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shares his own feelings upon witnessing the first Israeli hostages being released and explains: “The entire country broke down in tears… secular […]
“After 16 months of physical and emotional torture, 33 Israeli hostages will be coming home,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, expressing his deep gratitude for their return. “The need now is […]
Recounting the story of our people’s unlikely endurance, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reminds us that “a hundred generations of the descendants of Judah Maccabee have transmitted Judaism to you” and asks […]
In this week’s parashah, Jacob dreams of angels climbing a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, with God promising to return the descendants of Israel to the Land of Israel. […]
Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, Rabbi Hirsch worries about the future of democratic intuitions, reflects on the anti-Zionism and antisemitism and the left’s abandonment of liberalism […]
“The contrast between our high self-image and the base evil we are capable of has long baffled and intrigued the greatest minds of our species,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. The […]
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shared the range of emotions experienced by Jews since October 7, 2023, including anger, love, sorrow, mutual responsibility and determination to recover. Addressing young […]
“What is the most important verse in the Bible?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Erev Yom Kippur. “You have all these grand ethical principles: monotheism, equality, justice, humanity, mercy, loving-kindness, […]