“Once we grasp the essential meaning of our existence, we can respond to the injustices and inequities around us.” Rabbi Olan, in his sermon of February 21, 1965, opines that we may have accepted a …
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The Parasite in our Midst
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Doing Something about Anxiety
“Something has gone out of our way of life which makes for increasing tension and anxiety.” Anxiety is the theme of this sermon of February 14, 1965, as it seems to be the theme of …
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A New Look at Good Will
“Human existence by its nature cries out for chesed, loving-kindness. We need to receive it and give it if life in this dangerous world is to survive.” In this wide-ranging and challenging sermon of January …
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Right Will Prevail
“It is solemnly and piously announced that God, justice, and truth will always prevail.” Sometimes it’s difficult to believe in God or a higher power, especially when it seems that everything is going wrong. In …
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On Legislating Morality
“Life without law is an unthinkable nightmare.” In his November 29, 1964 radio sermon, Rabbi Olan expounded on the relationship between law and morality. “If we now ask ‘do laws make men moral?’ it is …
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This Nation Under God
What would Rabbi Olan say is the real question for America today? Mid-century Americans’ lives celebrated their victories and proclaimed Abraham Lincoln as the very exemplar of all that is American. We still invoke the …
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Slander – An Unforgivable Sin (Second introduction)
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs) In his sermon “Slander—An Unforgivable Sin”, of February 7, 1965, Rabbi Olan justifies the inclusion in the Ten Commandments of the Ninth Commandment: the …
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Slander – An Unforgivable Sin
“The human tongue is a two-edged sword. It speaks words of love, beauty and hope… The tongue, however, can speak fraud, slander and lies.” In this radio address, Rabbi Olan discusses lashon hara, or slander. He …
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On Taking the Shortest Route
“The symptoms of immaturity are all around us; anxiety, fear, guilt, self-centeredness, and many other of the abnormalities which describe modern life.” There are many possible shortcuts in life. In his January 31, 1965 radio …
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On Taking the Shortest Route
Indeed life demands maturity, the growing up both emotionally and mentally. The promised land in all cases lies at the end of a hard and long road. In his sermon of January 31, 1965, Rabbi …
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 