Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue

In this reflection on Lech Lecha, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch explores how small moments alter history, noting that Abraham’s choice to leave Haran birthed ethical monotheism, human free will, and our […]

To be human is to have free will — the basis of all morality — the capacity to choose good over evil, to take responsibility, to refuse to sit on […]

“We know that Jew-hatred will never disappear from every heart and every home,” Rabbi Ammi Hirsch says on Yom Kippur. “We are not only worried about ourselves. We are worried […]

“Many Jewish parents now describe a fundamental disconnect of worldviews that has affected the unity and integrity of the family,” Rabbi Ammi Hirsch says on Erev Yom Kippur. The Talmud […]

“Twenty-five years have passed since 9/11. How shall we mark this anniversary of infamy?” asks Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on Rosh Hashanah. “We saw the best and the worst of people […]

Today, June 19th, marks the day emancipation finally reached the slaves of Galveston, Texas. It wasn’t the exact day they were freed, a descendant of the slaves recalled, “but that’s […]

“We are the leaders. We must lead. We must be proactive. It is harder now. These are times that try our souls and test our convictions,” said Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch […]

Rabbi Hirsch points out, “Judaism teaches that God placed us in a world of unending challenges. Over and over our tradition reminded us – that – for one reason or […]

The new Broadway play about acclaimed children’s author Roald Dahl struck our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch as exceedingly relevant to our times. The same language and arguments Dahl used against Israel […]

“These are critical and fateful times” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Even a hundred years from now, historians will write about these very days.” Despite this sentiment, Rabbi Hirsch is steadfast […]

The sight of wildflowers blooming in Death Valley is a symbol of our times, beautifully articulated by Rabbi Rifkin, who expresses that, “these Death Valley wildflowers gave me pause. Not […]

“We gather today because it is Shabbat. On some level, to be a Jew is itself an act of defiance,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, who expressed relief — and immense […]

Rabbi Hirsch says emphatically that, “the Iranian threat is not only military, economic, and political. It is also ideological. We must grapple seriously with the ramifications of allowing this radical […]

Most people think Exodus is about “slavery, the ten plagues, the splitting of the Sea, and the Ten Commandments,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But “a full third is about the […]

Rabbi Ammi Hirsch sees New York’s icy streets as a good metaphor for America today. “The stability under our feet that we have always taken for granted seems much less […]

As America has faced crisis after crisis — with attacks on the Federal Reserve and the courts, and masked, heavily armed federal agents patrolling the streets — Rabbi Ammi Hirsch […]

“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 […]

“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 […]

“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 […]

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-Zionism that could […]