The mission of this blog is to stimulate interest in the deeply perceptive and still-relevant teachings of Levi A. Olan (1903-1984) by sharing from the Levi A. Olan Sermons and Images at Bridwell Library Digital Collection. The title "Conscience of the City" was applied to Rabbi Olan by a Fortune magazine reporter in 1964. Although Olan's city was Dallas, his thought transcends locality. Our goal is to...
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Our age is very much in need
“Our age is very much in need of a good moral washing and cleansing.”
-Rabbi Levi A. Olan. “The Clean and the Unclean.” April 21, 1963.
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The Clean and the Unclean
“…Our age exhibits two radically opposite attitudes toward morality – one which would prohibit most pleasurable experiences on the theory that they contaminate and defile. The other would unbind all controls and open wide the …
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The achievements of American democracy
“The achievements of American democracy and freedom, even if not perfect, even if disappointing at times, have kept alive man’s hope for a day of brotherhood and peace.”
-Rabbi Levi A. Olan. “The Most Important Event.” April 14, 1963.
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The Most Important Event
The sermon entitled “The Most Important Event” was broadcast on April 14, 1963, in the middle of Passover week. In it Rabbi Olan maintains that the key event in Jewish history was the Exodus from …
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Religion Has Come a Long Way
“Historically, religion tends to ignore the changes which transform the world and the lives of men.” Some people criticize religious communities for not keeping up with the times. Others complain that their churches or synagogues …
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Remember Your Enemies
“Prejudice is an insult to the dignity of man, the child of God. It is contagious and like a brush fire can burn down a whole civilization unless it is stamped out right at the …
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For those who really believe
“For those who really believe that God is the King of all the earth, the presence of poverty, injustice, bigotry, and war is both a challenge and source of guilt. How can anyone feel comfortable in his own well being while the victims of terror, of hunger, of fear look upon him with pleas for pity and love.”
-Rabbi Levi A. Olan. “A Modern View of the Kingdom of God.” March 24, 1963.
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A Modern View of the Kingdom of God
“We must move from charity toward justice which is the basic quality of God’s kingdom.” In this sermon, Rabbi Olan addresses what is arguably his core theme: how the Prophets called upon us to work …
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An Eye for an Eye
“It is of the utmost urgency for us to learn how to mete out justice with love.” In this March 10, 1963 sermon, Rabbi Olan addressed the question of responding appropriately to evil. What do …
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100th Blog Post!
This is our 100th blog post!
Thanks for being part of our reader community! Since April 2018 it has been our privilege to present weekly introductions to the writings of Rabbi Levi A. Olan and occasional quotation and image postings.
May the legacy of “The Conscience of the City” continue to inspire us to work together, building a better world for all.
