“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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Are We Free To Choose?
“God sends Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to let the Hebrews go out of Egypt. He then tells Moses, ‘I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and he will not let them go.’“ This passage from …
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The Test of Loyalty
“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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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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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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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 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...
Rabbi Levi A. Olan: The Conscience of the City 