Below you will find selected sermons written by Rabbi Polansky and delivered at KBI. Please feel free to read and share with attribution.
Shabbat Sukkot | To Antizionists
We in the Jewish professional world have just spent the last few months trying to get everyone into the synagogue — renew your membership, get your tickets, come back to shul! And now, here comes Sukkot and we’re kicking you all out again!
The Jews are rightly confused — do we want you in or out? Inside or outside?
I had a special bond with my Auntie Lea. She was a beautiful woman, soft spoken with blonde hair and a sweet smile. She was so gentle, and I loved when she would softly caress my hands and tuck me into bed while singing soft lullabies. People used to mistakenly think I was her daughter, and I loved that. My Auntie Lea was a happy, sometimes silly child at heart who loved to be playful and would make up imaginary creatures for us kids to picture watching over us and keeping us safe.
Shabbat shalom! It feels really great to be on this bimah now as your rabbi. When I accepted this post, they told me that you get good attendance on Friday nights, but I never imagined this! It’s like this every week, right Cantor? We are just getting to know each other and that will take some time. And that’s fine. It will take me time to get to know the minhagim—the customs—of KBI, and it will take you some time to get to know me and get used to the diIerent ways that I do some things. It will be an adjustment, but that’s normal