Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Podcast
1) Bondi Beach
“When we kindle the last light of the menorah, the sun will be at its peak down under. But for our people, even the glow of the full menorah will […]
2) Pay Attention
“Our tendency — like the frog in the pot — is not to notice changes until events reach a boiling point,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. One overlooked verse in this […]
3) The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“I recall the many learned and optimistic thought pieces in the early days of social media that proclaimed the dawn of a new and better world. We now understand that […]
4) On the Election of Zohran Mamdani
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch congratulates New York City Mayor-elect Zohran K. Mamdani and applauds the democratic process while reiterating his deep concern over the future mayor’s commitment to anti-Zion...Show More
5) Our Three Names: A Message to the Young Jews of America
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 […]
6) Hopefully
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 […]
7) Two Years On
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 […]
8) The Tug-of-War Inside Ourselves
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 […]
9) Believe Them
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 […]
10) Stay Strong
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 […]