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Wilshire POV
Wilshire Boulevard Temple
100 episodes
1 day ago
Taking responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable has always been core to Jewish tradition, but living this value has always been an imperfect endeavor. That is why this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, which begins with instructions about setting up systems of justice, ends with a seemingly abstract law about how those in positions of responsibility should handle an unknown person who is found killed in the undeveloped land between towns. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their...
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Judaism
Religion & Spirituality
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Taking responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable has always been core to Jewish tradition, but living this value has always been an imperfect endeavor. That is why this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, which begins with instructions about setting up systems of justice, ends with a seemingly abstract law about how those in positions of responsibility should handle an unknown person who is found killed in the undeveloped land between towns. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their...
Show more...
Judaism
Religion & Spirituality
Episodes (20/100)
Wilshire POV
Collective Responsibility - Rabbi Leah Lewis - August 29, 2025
Taking responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable has always been core to Jewish tradition, but living this value has always been an imperfect endeavor. That is why this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, which begins with instructions about setting up systems of justice, ends with a seemingly abstract law about how those in positions of responsibility should handle an unknown person who is found killed in the undeveloped land between towns. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their...
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2 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Have I Done Enough? - Cantor Lisa Peicott
At the conclusion of this Shabbat, the Jewish community will commemorate Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. It’s a day steeped in mourning and reflection. Traditionally, it commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples—the first attributed to the ancient Israelites’ idol worship, immorality, and bloodshed; the second to Sinat Chinam, or baseless hatred. In each case, it was not divine vengeance that brought about devastation, but the maleficence of mere human ...
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3 months ago
2 minutes

Wilshire POV
What We Do Matters - Rabbi Hannah Elkin - July 25, 2025
We come to the end of the book of Numbers this week with the double portion Matot-Massei. The Israelites wrap up a challenging chapter of wandering through the desert and they have started looking ahead to life in the Promised Land. The closing of this book offers an important message for the Israelites and us today. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. ...
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3 months ago
2 minutes

Wilshire POV
A Prayer for Shabbat - Cantor Lisa Peicott - June 27, 2025
Lucky for us, our tradition has a secret weapon to help us deal with the never-ending mishigas of our time, and no, it’s not a giant space laser Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Instagram: wilshireboulevardtemple
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4 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Thoughtful Celebration - Rabbi Leah Lewis - July 4, 2025
By definition, ritual becomes habituated and in its familiarity lies much of its power. But when we never stop to consider why it is that we engage in the first place, the ritual loses its meaning and will eventually fade away. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevard Temple Website: wbtla.org Youtube: Wilshire Boulevard Temple I...
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4 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Courage and Determination - Rabbi Hannah Elkin - June 20, 2025
This has been another difficult week. As we wait and watch and hold our breath over the news coming out of Israel, we feel tension, concern, and hope. The events unfolding in Israel and in our own backyard fill up our thoughts and trouble our sleep. In the past week I’ve had several conversations with congregants about Israel in particular, and what many of us keep coming back to is the awe we feel for how Israelis are handling the situation. Each week, a member of the clergy offers t...
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4 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Revelation Happens Every Day - Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro - May 30, 2025
As we approach the festival of Shavuot, most years (and this year included) we read from the torah portion Bamidbar - “in the wilderness”. For our ancestors, bamidbar meant leaving what they knew - slavery in Egypt. For us, bamidbar can infer leaving what we know. For us and our ancestors, bamidbar invokes traveling in uncertainty. In this week's Shabbat Message, Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro asks, "When we feel that we are traveling in a wilderness, how can we bring equanimity to that untame...
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5 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Roadmap to Holiness - Cantor Lisa Peicott - May 9, 2025
For weeks we have been wading through the many ritual laws of the book of Leviticus, known in Hebrew as Vayikra. In short, Vayikra consists of rules about a specific holy place (Mishkan), with very specific kinds of sacrifices (korbanot), that can only be performed by a specific group of people, the priests (Cohanim), who are the mediators between God and the Israelites. And then this week’s double portion, Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, arrives on the scene and everything changes. We get what i...
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6 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
On Creating a Holy Society - Rabbi Joel Nickerson
We are currently in the midst of the Book of Leviticus, a book dedicated to both the concept of purity and, more importantly, the values and actions a community must adhere to in order to create a holy society. We are a people who spend the majority of our central text wandering through a barren wilderness, just like that little boy, Bodin, in Arizona, found safe with only minor scratches, thanks to the a rancher's dog's unwavering protection for sixteen hours while rescuers searched.As we le...
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6 months ago
5 minutes

Wilshire POV
Spring Renewal and the Spirit of Passover - Rabbi Hannah Elkin
Spring has arrived in Southern California, signaling a time to embrace warmer weather and prepare for Passover. Rabbi Hannah Elkin expands beyond the story of the Exodus from Egypt and shares the other Jewish traditions, including the reading of Song of Songs, symbolizing new beginnings. This seasonal transition is mirrored in the Torah portion, Parashat Vayikra, which calls for spiritual and emotional purification. Despite the challenges of the recent winter, including fires and floods, ther...
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6 months ago
2 minutes

Wilshire POV
Bitterness and Sweetness: A Passover Reflection - Rabbi Leah Lewis
For this week's Shabbat Message, Rabbi Leah Lewis reflects on the emotional weight of Passover this year, marked by the ongoing captivity of 59 Israelis in Gaza. Yet, Passover also emphasizes the coexistence of bitterness and sweetness—represented through traditional foods and rituals. This duality is echoed in the reading of Song of Songs during Passover, a poetic celebration of love and hope. Finding sweetness amid sorrow is a form of redemption, and that love—whether divine or human—holds ...
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6 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Personal Remarks at the Installation of Rabbi Joel Nickerson
Rabbi Joel Nickerson, on the occasion of his installation as the seventh Senior Rabbi in Wilshire Boulevard Temple's 163-year history, shares four pillars that will shape our future together: Hope, Vision, Community, and Courage. These words serve as the foundation for the next chapter of our Temple’s journey. Tikvah, the Hope to inspire the next generation, Chazon, the Vision to innovate boldly, Kehillah, the Community to bring comfort and inspiration, and Ometz, the Courage to lead wi...
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8 months ago
38 minutes

Wilshire POV
Choosing Hope Amidst Grief: A Mother's Promise - Cantor Lisa Peicott
This week’s Shabbat message comes from Cantor Lisa Peicott—not just as a clergy member, but as a mother. As we collectively mourn the devastating loss of Kfir and Ariel, the heartbreaking fate of the Bibas family, Cantor Peicott offers a promise—to Kfir and Ariel, to her own children, and to us all. "I promise to hope." "Hope is not easy, hope is not pretty, hope is not a zero sum game, but it’s who I believe we are. It is what has sustained us through plague, pogrom, and endless persec...
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8 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Origins of Valentine’s Day and of our Core Jewish Values - Rabbi Joel Nickerson
In this week's Shabbat message, Rabbi Nickerson shares the not-often-thought of origins of Valentine's Day and invites us to reflect on the origins of our core Jewish values from this week's Torah portion Parashat Yitro. These core principles such as dignity, healthy disagreement, loving kindness, and responsibility guide our community through challenging times and inspire action to repair the world. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of t...
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8 months ago
6 minutes

Wilshire POV
Carrying the Burden Together - Rabbi Leah Lewis
This week's Shabbat Message reflects on the overwhelming challenges faced in the present moment, comparing current crises—such as ongoing fires, a fragile ceasefire in Israel, and political shifts—to past periods of struggle, particularly the aftermath of the destruction of the Second Temple. In this time of uncertainty, we must stay connected, acknowledge the heaviness of the moment, and support one another through the shared burden, with the understanding that no one can face it alone. Each...
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9 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
"Hineini": Responding to Crisis with Presence and Action - Rabbi Leah Fein
Rabbi Leah Fein shares this week's parsha, Shemot, which includes the most famous story of fire in the entire Torah: the Burning Bush, where Moses answers God's call with "Hineini" ("Here I am"), signifying readiness to act in times of crisis. Rabbi Fein reflects on how this spirit of Hineini has been embodied by the the community that has come together to provide aid during the devastating fires of Los Angeles, demonstrating their presence and willingness to help. The message of hope ...
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9 months ago
4 minutes

Wilshire POV
The Essence of Joseph - Cantor Kerith Spencer-Shapiro
This week we begin the Joseph saga in our Torah. Chanukah may seem like an unlikely time to think about forgiveness. The author, Stephen Mitchell, associates Joseph’s journey and character with the quality of forgiving in his retelling of the Joseph story, Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their personal perspective on a topic of their choice, such as the week's Torah portion, a Jewish holiday, ritual, custom, or history. Facebook: Wilshire Boulevar...
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9 months ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Healing Familial Brokenness - Rabbi Joel Nickerson
Many of us will have the blessing of sitting around a Thanksgiving table next week with members of our family with whom we share great joy and love. But others will be mourning the loss, and even death, of certain familial relationships. They will be looking across the table, maybe even smiling or laughing externally, but inside, they will be sitting with a pain that punctures their hearts. ... One of the beauties of our Jewish tradition, and especially the Torah, is that it doesn’t sh...
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11 months ago
5 minutes

Wilshire POV
Inertia - Lech Lacha - Rabbi Leah Lewis
“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” -Sir Isaac Newton Baked into the basic laws of physics, there is a fundamental truth that is being felt across the country, as we prepare to enter Shabbat this week. There exists a natural tendency to resist change in one’s state of motion. That resistance is called inertia. Long before Sir Isaac Newton gave language to this tendency...
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1 year ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
The Significance of Making - Rabbi Leah Fein
This week, we read of someone who exhibits a strong sense of agency over his own future in the face of forces beyond what he can control. Not long after God has created the world, corruption and lawlessness filled the earth. So God decides to send a flood to destroy it all, save for Noah, a man “righteous in his generation” (Genesis 6:9), along with Noah’s family and two of each animal. God instructs Noah: “Make yourself an ark” (Gen 6:14). The Torah goes on to describe the details of t...
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1 year ago
3 minutes

Wilshire POV
Taking responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable has always been core to Jewish tradition, but living this value has always been an imperfect endeavor. That is why this week’s Torah portion, Shoftim, which begins with instructions about setting up systems of justice, ends with a seemingly abstract law about how those in positions of responsibility should handle an unknown person who is found killed in the undeveloped land between towns. Each week, a member of the clergy offers their...