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Excerpts from Rabbi Berezin's sermon from July 28, 2023, titled "A Dark Day in Israel": 

" A dark day for Israeli democracy indeed. On Monday night, I found myself doomscrolling through the newspaper articles – one after another, sinking into a pit of despair. It almost felt as though Tisha b’Av had come early, as we collectively cried out to God, eicha, “how could this be?” 

And so I welcomed Tisha b’Av on Wednesday evening and invited its invitation to sit in my grief and my despair as I imagined what might become of the Israel that I so deeply love. Because I do love Israel – even in its multi-layered complexity and deep flaws, it is a homeland that allows us to dream and build a place where the values of our faith become manifest in everyday life. 

But my dream of Israel – the dream of a democratic Jewish state that creates space for all people to live with integrity and dignity and, yes, with holiness – is only possible if we hold one another accountable to that dream. 

So, Wednesday night, I sat with our community as we sang from Psalm 137 and remembered how we wept by the rivers of Babylon. I allowed the words of Isaiah to reverberate within my soul as we beseeched God to comfort us as we wander the wilderness. And I prayed for strength and courage and fortitude for our partners in Israel, who do the holy work of creating an inclusive democracy in Israel each and every day. 

And just as Tisha B’Av begins with despair but ends with hope, so too, did I begin to move into a space of hope for Israel. Because despite the bitter reality of the Reasonableness Bill, there is always light even in the midst of darkness. 
           
And the light reminds us that there are good people doing good work to demonstrate that the majority of Israeli citizens do not support this government’s agenda. We’re seeing some of the most widespread protests in Israel’s history."

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Watch the entirety of Friday’s service here. 

Temple Talk is a recap of sermons given from the Bimah for those who missed a Sermon or who wanted to revisit the words spoken at a previous sermon.