Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City

“Is there anything which is right or wrong for all time and in all places?” In his sermon of April 17, 1966, Rabbi Olan begins his quest for a universal moral standard by acknowledging that …

“Our day is very ominous and there are dark hours when we seem doomed to extinction. It will take a miracle to save us. But we no longer can expect a miracle. What hope is …

“We… will make decisions in our personal lives and for the nation…. Let us be as sure as we can possibly be that the consequences are those we want.” We have all played the game …

“Moses commanded the people, ‘And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it into the blood, and strike the lintels and the two side-posts of your houses.’” Rabbi Olan makes a simple point …

“In the real issues of our lives, in facing grief or experiencing joy, in the presence of fear, or the need for hope, hard work and hard thought are not enough…Prayer can lead [us] to …

We profess noble ideals but in practical life adhere to something far less. In this sermon of February 27, 1966, Rabbi Olan isn’t talking about a double life in the context of a marriage, but …

In his sermon of February 13, 1966, Rabbi Olan returns to a favorite theme that he had developed in “On Taking the Shortest Route” (January 31, 1965): he argues that God instructed Moses to lead …

The first half of this week’s sermon, written January 30, 1966, is about the end of the world, and with his usual timelessness, Rabbi’s Olan’s words feel at least as relevant today as they must …

“In a world that is never finished, there is always hope, and hope is the greatest good of all.” In his sermon of January 16, 1966, Rabbi Olan says that the creation of the world …

This week’s sermon finds us entering 1966 (January 9), still in the midst of the civil rights movement, as Rabbi Olan reminds us that the prophetic faith “begins with the declaration that each person is …