"It is of utmost importance in this hour for the man who takes the oath of office of President of the United States to remember the words of Ezekiel: 'thou art man and not God.'" In his radio sermon on February 5, 1961, Rabbi Olan delves into questions around how we know our true selves while asserting why we must remember our humanity and our humility no matter what part we play — or what power we have — in...
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On Being Yourself
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The Inescapable Ideals
"The fact, which is the result of centuries of experience, is that no one of us can evade the demands of idealism." On January 29, 1961, Rabbi Olan explored what it is to be practical vs. idealistic and where...
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Religion and Mental Health
"Religion is not a form of medicine and it sails under false and dangerous colors when it neglects this truth. By its nature, however, it does offer man a faith by which he can stand up to life with more confidence and less anxiety." On January 22, 1961 Rabbi Olan discussed how faith in...
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The Price for Being Different
“It takes courage to be different and the price is high but if we do not pay it now — we will surely pay it later.” When Rabbi Olan gave this radio address on January 15, 1961, his focus was on...
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When God Speaks
"Religion today is very busy; churches and synagogues are beehives of activity; the plant of God just hums with activity. But who ever is quiet long enough to hear what God is saying?" Rabbi Olan's message from January 8, 1961 encourages us to...
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A Program For the New Year
"The new year holds many dark and threatening clouds but it also holds a promise for a brighter day. Whether we shall move towards ruin or towards a new bright day depends upon what we shall do."
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Reflections
I am one of four people who addressed Rabbi Olan as Papa – because he was my grandfather. When I was growing up in Dallas during the 1960s and 1970s – going to religious school …
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Do You Really Want Liberty
“Liberty demands obedience to the laws of justice and rebellion against the unjust laws of Pharaoh.” ANNOUNCEMENT:THIS IS THE LAST IN THE SERIES OF SERMONS FOR THIS SEASON. THE BROTHERHOOD OF TEMPLE EMANU-EL IS PLEASED …
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A False Kind of Prosperity
‘The first plank in any platform for economic well-being is justice.’ April 19, 1970 In this, one of his last radio sermons, Rabbi Olan addresses three themes: Rabbi Olan argues that without fair distribution, our …
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Being Happy in this Kind of World
“Our generation should be the happiest in history. It is the most miserable.” March 22, 1970 On Purim in 1970, Rabbi Olan reflected on that time in the Jewish calendar that is supposed to be …
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 