“Americans emphasize liberty but tend to forget loyalty. We want the freedom to become as rich as is possible without regard to the poverty and suffering of our neighbors.” In his January 3, 1965 radio …
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The Test of Loyalty
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When All Seems Lost
There is light and there is also darkness. To live means to experience both. In his sermon of December 20, 1964 Rabbi Olan engages with this dichotomy through the story of Joseph and his journey …
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Bargaining With God
When…the values of business are introduced into other phases of life they can prove disastrous. In his sermon of December 13, 1964, Rabbi Olan further developed a favorite theme: that the most important activities and …
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The Conservative in the Bible
“Isaac in search of water remembered where Abraham his father had dug wells. The Philistines had covered them up and they were lost. But ‘Isaac,’ we are told, ‘dug again the wells of water which …
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The First Anniversary of a Tragedy
Not only is death inevitable, it can come without advance notice at any moment. In a fleeting speck of time a young smiling man was turned from life to death. Undergirding all of our shocked …
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On Being Old and Alone
“You and I, hopefully, will grow old, whether we admit it or not. What confronts us very realistically is the question – what kind of old age will I experience?” Let’s be honest: the majority …
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How Much Can A Person Stand?
“If you are looking for an untroubled, serene existence, you are in the wrong place.” Rabbi Olan begins this sermon with the recognition that suffering is inevitable. The question isn’t whether or not we suffer, …
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Making Sense Of Nonsense
“What we need to learn above all else is that by nature we are doers.” In his radio sermon from October 18, 1964, Rabbi Olan debates the contrasting roles of the pessimists and the optimists in understanding man's role in the world. While including many references to the...
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Oh No! It Is Not True
Rabbi Olan once again visits the assassination of President John F. Kennedy almost a year later. This time, however, he ponders if death is really the end. He points out that many people believe that …
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Our Need to Experience Life
“Who today experiences the holy, the something more in life which moves us to awe and reverence, and sends us passionately to do God’s work.” Rabbi Olan begins his sermon of October 11, 1964, with …
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 