Rabbi George Sabbatical: January-March 2021
Dear Shomrei Torah Members and Friends,
The Torah instructed our ancient, agriculturally based ancestors that their land should not be continuously cultivated. It needs to rest at least once every seven years in order to remain productive.
And just as the land needs a rest to be renewed, so do human beings. That is, of course, one of the amazing potential benefits of Shabbat each week! And it’s also the basis of a rabbinic sabbatical, a break from routine and responsibilities in order to seek rejuvenation and enrichment. Toward that end, I will be away on a regularly scheduled sabbatical from January through March of 2021.
Unlike the Torah’s legislation that land on sabbatical lie completely fallow, I don’t see this period as simply a time for vacation or doing nothing but an opportunity to study, read, write and reflect without distraction. The COVID-19 pandemic will limit my ability to do certain things, such as travel to Israel, but it won’t get in the way of my using this period for learning and growth. It is both a gift and an investment you make in me and in the life of the synagogue.
Many Shomrei Torah members have already stepped up to help lead services, Torah study and meditation sessions in my absence. Although I’ll miss being with you, it’s a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together in these activities. And an especially big thank you goes to Rabbi Stephanie in advance for not only fulfilling her many responsibilities at Shomrei Torah but for covering for me as well.
Thank you, Shomrei Torah, for the gift of sabbatical! I hope and pray that my time away will allow me to return renewed and inspired, ready to continue our journey together.
In gratitude,
Rabbi George
Rabbi George's Sermons - 2020
November 6th: When God is One of Us
October 16th: Human Nature
September 27th, Kol Nidre: Yom Kippur and Impermanence
September 19th, Rosh Hashanah: The World Can Be Otherwise
July 31st: When is Enough, Enough?
July 3rd: The American Flag and the Jewish Experience
June 19th: Created in God’s Image - Judaism, CST and the Struggle for LGBTQ Equality
May 29th: Revelation
May 15th: The Pandemic and the Silver-Lining of Impermanence
May 1st: Israel: A Protection from the Nations or a Light Unto the Nations?
Monday, April 20, 2020: Yom Hashoa - Three Lessons Learned from Survivors
Friday, March 20, 2020: Holy Fire
Rabbi George's Sermon: Holy Fire from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Friday, March 6, 2020: Purim - The Adult Story
Purim - The Adult Story from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
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Friday, February 28, 2020: "The Role of Religious Imagination in Healing the World"
The Role of Religious Imagination in Healing the World from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Friday, January 31, 2020: "Plague of Locusts"
Plague of Locusts from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Friday, January 17, 2020: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - His legacy and his vision as it applies to today"
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. : His legacy and his vision as it applies to today from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Rabbi George's Sermons - 2019
Friday, December 20, 2019: "Trump's Executive Order and Jewish Identity"
Trump's Executive Order and Jewish Identity from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Yom Kippur 2019: Wednesday, October 9 – Read Rabbi George’s Sermon: Choosing Life
Rosh Hashanah 2019: Sunday, September 29 – Rabbi George’s Multi-Generational Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon
Rabbi George's Sermon-Her right foot- The Statue of Liberty and the Jewish-American Experience from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Rosh Hashanah 2019: Monday, September 30 – Rabbi George’s Rosh Hashanah Day Sermon
Rabbi George's Sermon- The Meaning of Shalom As We Enter the New Year from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Friday, August 30, 2019: “How Tribal are We?”
How Tribal Are We? from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Friday, August 23, 2019: “What does it mean to be a loyal Jew?” Read it HERE.
Friday, July 19, 2019: “Hide or fight, what does our tradition tell us to do?“
Hide or Fight, what does our tradition tell us to do from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
June 7, 2019: “The Rarest Color Blue”
6/7/19 - The Rarest Color Blue from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
June 2, 2019: “Protecting the Vulnerable” at the Center for Spiritual Living
2019-06-02 - Protect the Vulnerable - Rabbi George Gittleman from Center for Spiritual Living SR on Vimeo.
March 31, 2019: “Holy Fire”
March 31, 2019 | Rabbi George Sermon, "Holy Fire" from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
January 4, 2019: “The Seventy Names of the Divine”
Rabbi George Sermon, January 4, 2019 | "The Seventy Names of The Divine" from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Rabbi George's Sermons - 2018
November 30, 2018: “The Key to Happiness”
Rabbi George Sermon, November 30, 2018 | "A Key to Happiness" from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
November 27, 2018: Podcast “Explore the Space with Rabbi George – Crisis Leadership” To listen, click HERE.
November 1, 2018: Hundreds Gathered at Solidarity Interfaith Service for Synagogue Shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"Three Poems for the Evening of Yom Kippur", Rabbi George Gittleman Sermon | Kol Nidre 5779 from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
"Lost and Found" Rabbi George Gittleman Sermon | Rosh Hashanah 5779 from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Holiness: A Humanist View from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
April 11, 2018: Yom HaShoah Sermon: “Resistance”
Resistance from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
March 2, 2018: Shabbat Sermon: “Pot Brownies at the Oneg? Marijuana Dispensary as a Fundraiser? Is Cannabis Kosher?”
Pot Brownies at the Oneg? from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
Rabbi George's Sermons 2017 and Earlier
October 20, 2017: “Who By Fire”
Who By Fire? from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
October 2017: Rabbi George joins with other religious leaders discuss how faith communities are helping cope with the North Bay wildfires. Listen to it Here.
Rabbi George on “Religions and the Environment” At the CST forum on climate change and population growth. Read it Here.
September 20, 2017: Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon “Avinu Malkeinu“
Avinu Malkeinu | Erev Rosh Hashanah from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
September 29, 2017: Kol Nidre Sermon “The Windphone”
The Windphone | Kol Nidre from Congregation Shomrei Torah on Vimeo.
October 2016: Rosh Hashanah Sermon: “The True Voice of The Holy One”. Listen to the evening service HERE. Listen to the morning service HERE.
October 2016: Kol Nidre Sermon “Values” Read it HERE.
June 15, 2016: Rabbi George Speaks at the Multi-denominational “Vigil for Orlando”
January 25, 2015: Rabbi George’s remarks at the CST forum on Climate Change and Overpopulation “An Open and Urgent Question”. Read it Here.
September 2015: Kol Nidre Sermon “Let me not die while I’m still alive”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2015: Rosh Hashanah Sermon “To Be Human…” Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2015: High Holy Day Sermon “L’Chaim“. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2014: Yizkor Sermon “The Poetics of Loss & Memory”. Listen to it HERE.
September 2014: Kol Nidre Sermon “Do You Love Me?” Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2014: Yom Kippur Sermon in memory of Rabbi David Hartman “A Blessing in the New Year”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2014: Rosh Hashanah Sermon. Listen to it HERE.
Shabbat Sermon “Newton”. Read it HERE.
September 2013: Kaddish & Yiskor Sermon. Read it HERE.
September 2013: Rosh Hashanah Sermon “Interbeing”. Read it HERE.
September 2013: Yom Kippur Sermon “Vulnerability”. Read it HERE.
September 2012: Yom Kippur Sermon “Valley of the Shadow”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2012: Rosh Hashanah Sermon “Hineini, Here I Am”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2011: Yiskor Sermon “The Death of Moses”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2011: Rosh Hashanah Sermon “Yom HaDin – Day of Judgment”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
April 2010: Yom HaShoah Sermon “To Be Human in a Place Where There is No Humanity”. Read it HERE.
April 2009: Sermon “How Open is Our Tent”. Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2010: Rosh Hashanah Sermon "The Whole World is a Narrow Bridge". Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
September 2010: Erev Rosh Hashanah Sermon "Life Hanging in the Balance". Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
"Torah Then and Now". Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
Yom Kippur 2008 (5769): "In Search of Sin". Read it HERE. Listen to it HERE.
Erev Rosh Hashanah 2007 (5768): "Meta: Loving-Kindness". Read it HERE.
"My Heart is in the East but I, I am at the Edge of the West"
"Remembering What Makes Life Worth Living"
"A Response to the War in Iraq"
"A Memory That Leads to Redemption"
Fri, April 16 2021
4 Iyar 5781
Rabbi George's blog
Click Here
About Rabbi George
Rabbi George Gittleman joined Shomrei Torah as our first full time rabbi and moved with his family to Santa Rosa in 1996. The Shomrei Torah mishpacha (family) has been blessed and strengthened by Rabbi George’s leadership in teaching, community building and worship.
In his words, “Welcoming all kinds of people into our diverse community is at the core of our mission and my vision for a Liberal Jewish future in Sonoma County.”
George and his wife Laura, a hospital administrator and artist, have teenage twins, Sophia and Levi. Their family dog, Emmy, can sometimes be found lounging in the Rabbi’s Study by day. The Gittleman’s cherish their life in Sonoma County and are prominent leaders of the community.
A native of Kentucky, Rabbi George earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History from the University of Vermont in 1984.
In 1991 he embarked on his rabbinical journey after 8 years in computer sales, obtaining a Masters in Hebrew Letters and Ordination from the Reform Seminary, Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in 1996. Rabbi George is also a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the prestigious Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and a graduate of the Rabbinic Leadership Program of The Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
Rabbi George is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He enjoys gardening, hiking with his dog, fly fishing and boogie boarding with the family. On occasion, you’ll find him leading Shabbat Services in the woods, on the beach, or outside on the Shomrei Torah patio: “I’m tempted not to utter a word and let the beauty of the landscape be our prayers today.
Press Democrat Articles
- Close to Home: Bigotry Puts Everyone at Risk
- Rebuilding Faith: Wildfires Provide Tough Test of Religious Beliefs
- A Story of Many Faiths United as One Voice
- All in God's Image
- Remarks on the 6th Anniversary of September 11th
- Israel at 60
- What Hamas Means for Israel's Future
- In Dark Days...
- Seabiscuit Reflects High Holy Days
- One Universal Family
Click HERE to read Rabbi George's PRESS DEMOCRAT Profile.
Lights in the Forest
Rabbi George Gittleman is a contributor to a new book on Jewish thought and life. In Lights in the Forest: Rabbis Respond to Twelve Essential Jewish Questions, edited by Rabbi Paul Citrin and published by the CCAR Press of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Click here to read Rabbi Gittleman’s contribution. Click here to order your own copy of the book.