Rabbi Jack Riemer reflects on his long career in the rabbinate, the art of preaching and the inspiration that he draws from the Psalms and the real-world stories that bring sacred scripture to life.
Rabbi Jack Riemer is a master story teller and preacher and one of the most frequently quoted rabbis in the U.S. who artfully describes the relevance of timeless Jewish wisdom in our modern world. He is often referred to as the “rabbi’s rabbi” among Jewish clergy, because he has taught and mentored so many of his colleagues. The late Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel wrote: "Jack Riemer’s words are songs of hope and faith. Listen to them as I do."
Rabbi Riemer is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Tikvah (now Shaarei Kodesh) in Boca Raton, Florida. He is co-author, with Rabbi Elie Spitz, of Duets on Psalms: Drawing New Meaning From Ancient Words. To inquire about an autographed copy, contact Ben Yehuda Press. Rabbi Riemer is also the author of Jewish Insights on Death and Mourning Finding God in Unexpected Places: Wisdom for Everyone from the Jewish Tradition and coeditor of So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them.
Rabbi Riemer's retelling of a story about Rabbi Paul Plotkin is found in Rabbi Paul Plotkin's book, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Why Do I Still Want?
Here is an excerpt in which Rabbi Paul Plotkin shares in his own words the story that Rabbi Riemer refers to in the podcast. Thank you to Rabbi Paul Plotkin for granting permission to share this excerpt.
For more about Natan Sharansky, see his memoir Fear No Evil.
Check out the other podcast hosted by Rabbi Ed Bernstein: My Teacher Podcast.