“Is there a test by which we may judge between good and evil? One of the most acceptable standards is very old and yet very enduring. Every action which treats a person as a sacred creature is good. The deed which demeans or abuse[s] a life is evil.”
– Rabbi Levi A. Olan. From “The Beast In Each of Us,” broadcast January 15, 1967.
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Listen to What Your Dreams Tell You
“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 …
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Come to Curse–Stay to Bless
“…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 …
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The Sin That Punishes
“Before we dismiss the idea of sin as meaningless to our age, we should try to discover its essential character.” In his December 25, 1966 radio sermon, Rabbi Olan spoke about sin and punishment. Both …
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Are Religious People Fooling Themselves?
“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, …
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Is This a Holy War?
“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 …
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Why Men Fight
“The world is a dangerous place. The historic causes which have brought war in the past are present today.” Rabbi Olan preached two sermons that he titled “Why Men Fight.” The first was in 1963 …
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On Being a Mature Person
“The most dangerous thing one can do is to stop growing as a person.” November 27, 1966 In optimal situations, life moves from childhood (total dependence) to adolescence (self-care and maintenance) to adulthood (investing our …
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Love is to give
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Life Should Be an Adventure
“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. …
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 