Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City

“I place before thee this day,” said God, “good and evil, life and death. Choose thou the good, choose thou life.” In his sermon of December 5, 1965, Rabbi Olan develops the metaphor of the …

It feels quite fortuitous that this sermon of November 28, 1965 made its way onto the blog after a very hotly contested presidential election. The election highlighted an already divided nation grappling with serious issues …

“ … [W]isdom is not only a respect for tradition, an appreciation of time, it is living by faith. The Bible describes the unbeliever not as a sinner, but as a fool.” Organizations display mission …

“What a man needs is some far-reaching ultimate concern which will bind all of his warring selves together and give meaning and purpose to his life.” In his sermon of November 14, 1965, Rabbi Olan …

“If we would be free, we must choose to discipline ourselves.” In his sermon of October 31, 1965, Rabbi Olan argues that self-discipline is essential to education, to the creative life, to family life, and …

“Biblical faith is rooted in the mysterious.” This sermon of October 24, 1965 by Rabbi Olan focuses on the mystery of life, because, as he notes, “life is more mystery than fact.” Sometimes it may …

“It is time for us to recite the confession of our collective guilt….” Have you ever driven on the freeway behind a car whose exhaust fills your own car with the smell of a rotten …

“There are only two things certain about our lives – we must die and we are not dead now.  What each of us confronts is the period between now and death.  What shall we do …

“The failure of a good relationship to oneself lies at the root of much emotional suffering today.” In his sermon of April 18, 1965 Rabbi Olan argues that we cannot follow the Biblical injunction to …