Judah Kerbel

Apply for a Blog

Sep 8, 2024, 9:43 AM

Consolation In the Midst of Trauma

The news hit us immediately following Havdalah last Shabbat. Credible rumors were circulating that the bodies of six hostages were found in a tunnel in Gaza. We knew pretty quickly that this would not be a happy ending. It...

Jul 21, 2024, 5:57 AM

Would Bilaam’s Curses Even Matter? A Cautionary Tale for 2024

In his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, analyzing the political and religious divisions of our era, Professor Jonathan Haidt says the reason we are divided is not because some people are...

Nov 19, 2023, 7:16 PM

Joy Resulting From (Not Despite) Pain

This piece was originally a derasha I gave at the Queens Jewish Center on Shabbat Parashat Vayeitzei 5783/2022. It comes from a very personal place - it only captures part of the journey and a fraction of the pain....

May 19, 2023, 1:27 PM

R. Aharon Lichtenstein’s Ever Relevant Message for Yom Yerushalayim

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt"l and Rav Yehuda Amital zt"l used Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim as opportunities to demonstrate gratitude, to provide introspection, and to dream for the future during these important holidays. Their talks are now printed in B'shuvecha...

May 8, 2023, 8:13 AM

Two Narratives in Vayikra: Can We Balance Principles and Inclusion?

(This sermon was given on Shabbat of Parashat Emor. This version is modified and expanded somewhat.) Rabbi Yaakov Medan, rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat Har Etzion. In some ways, he represents the typical profile of a “right-wing” religious Zionist who supports...

May 5, 2023, 4:41 AM

Kiddush Hashem and Jewish American Heritage Month

In one of the famous stories depicting the interactions between Hillel and a potential convert (Shabbat 31a), the latter makes a condition that he will only convert if he can learn the entire Torah on one foot. While Shammai...

Jan 22, 2023, 1:55 AM

And Hashem Spoke to Moshe: Authentic vs Artificial Speech

I promise you this week’s drasha (sermon) was written by me and only me. I did not plagiarize this in any way. If you are wondering why I would make such a disclaimer, given that I almost always write...

Jan 15, 2023, 7:08 AM

Greatness: Flowing With or Against the Tide?

(Originally given as a sermon on January 14, Parashat Shemot) We read this morning about the famous beginnings of Moshe’s life. As the Torah describes, and as you would know if you ever watched Prince of Egypt, Paroh decrees that...

Jul 18, 2021, 7:04 AM

The Space Competition in Moshe’s Opening Words

Sir Richard Branson was the first private citizen to fund his own trip to space, and he accomplished his mission this week. Although he only reached the edge of space, his 50 mile high flight was nonetheless groundbreaking. Better...

May 23, 2021, 8:37 AM

Ahavat Yisrael in Challenging Times

Before I begin, my goal today is to think aloud a little bit through the prism of Torah. I do not believe that rabbis have all of the right solutions to the big problems of the world. But I...

Load more

About Me

Judah Kerbel is the rabbi of Queens Jewish Center and a development associate for the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is pursuing a Master's in Social Work at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work.

Contact Me