Festival of Light – Festival of Religious Freedom (11/27/13 at Abiding Presence, 8 p.m.)

First night of Chanukah 5774:  Thankgiving and Chanukah Message        We take light for granted.  Imagine a world without electricity.  For most of...more

November 29, 2013

Celebrate Thanksgivukkah at Church This Year (November 2013 KOL)

79811. That is the next year that Chanukah and Thanksgiving will coincide according to a physicist and mathematician whose bris I officiated at many years...more

November 5, 2013

The ABC’s of TBS by RARP (October 2013 KOL)

When I first arrived in Virginia, as an assistant rabbi in 1982, I was ill-prepared to navigate the Washington world of acronyms beyond the common...more

October 2, 2013

L’Chaim To Life! (Erev Rosh Hashanah 5774)

To Life! sung by the cast of Fiddler on the Roof (performed before sermon begins by both rabbis)   Here’s to our prosperity. Our good...more

September 17, 2013

ME, and “All of You” (Yom Kippur 5774)

This sermon may not be used, shared, or copied without express permission of the author I’m Italian!!! From north of Tuscany, originally.   According to my...more

September 17, 2013

L’chaim: Viewing Life through the Lens of Death (Yizkor Service 5774)

Whether we keep an old-fashioned written calendar, or an electronic one, most of us lead very busy lives.  When someone wants to meet with us,...more

September 15, 2013

Shanah Tovah From Rabbi Perlin (September KOL)

As we gather together this year to share the High Holy Days, quickly followed by Sukkot and Simchat Torah, we feel a sense of return:...more

September 6, 2013

D’var Torah: R’eih: The Price of Doing “Whatever We Please” (DEUTERONOMY 11:26–16:17)

"If every Jew does whatever s/he wants, wherever s/he wants, Judaism won't survive another generation."

August 3, 2013

What Are You Doing In Elul? (August KOL)

Los Angeles is a city of signs and billboards everywhere.  I know more about upcoming shows and movies than I would normally know tucked back...more

August 2, 2013

A Temple For All Seasons (July KOL)

As I write this article, summer begins tomorrow.  For many of our members, this means a more relaxed time of year filled with time to...more

July 9, 2013