Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City

“Dreams are testimony to our practice of rejecting some basic truths about our lives because we resent them.  They awaken us to the necessity of accepting the world as it is.” January 8, 1967 Rabbi …

“…When we do the wrong things we get the wrong results.  …If we live by the demands of righteousness, we shall bring the right results.” In his sermon of January 1, 1967, Rabbi Olan uses …

“We do not know who created the world or how it came to be. Scientists do not know and the Biblical account is a beautiful myth. We do not know what God wills of man, …

“Can any war be so holy that [it] warrants the horror it brings to so many innocent people?” Rabbi Olan courageously engaged with some of the most challenging and divisive issues of his time, and …

“Rapid change has a harmful effect upon many people. They find it difficult, and sometimes impossible to adjust. The result is expressed in a fear of the uncertainty and insecurity of the world they inhabit. …

“If the results of injustice, indifference to the welfare of others, selfishness and greed, bring terror, then we may hope that if we learn to do the right we may bring peace and joy.” In …

“We are in a frightful danger of becoming accustomed to living with war as a normal way of life.” In his sermon of October 9, 1966, Rabbi Olan develops two images: the blowing of the …

“If time passes quickly for us and we are not aware of it, we assume that we have had a good time. We have escaped boredom. The goal for us, it seems, is to be …

“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 …