“Much, too much emphasis is placed by parents upon preparing the child to live as an adult at the expense of his needs as a child. He need not be looked upon as always father …
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Rabbi Olan spoke out for peace in 1936
In 1936, with a world war looming, Rabbi Olan spoke out for peace in a series of in-person and radio addresses sponsored by the nation-wide Emergency Peace Campaign, according to the Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), 22 October 1936. In an Armistice Day speech, Olan stated: “War breeds the darkest forces in a man’s heart. War was responsible for the whole crazy scheme that now engulfs the world. We cannot make the world safe for democracy—but we can preserve our own heritage, the America whose cradle is liberty and whose home is a living democracy.”.
– Rabbi Levi A. Olan. From an Armistice Day address. -
The Parasite in our Midst
“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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Doing Something about Anxiety
“Whatever else religion is or is not, this is common and central to it wherever and whenever it appears – it affirms the meaning of life. This much is sure, where there is genuine faith there is no room for anxiety.”
– Rabbi Levi A. Olan. From “Doing Something About Anxiety,” broadcast Feb. 14, 1965. -
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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A New Look at Good Will
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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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Electronics have shrunk our world
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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 …
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 