Rabbi Levinsky Sermon: January 16

The Protests in Minneapolis

Like many of you, I am disturbed by the federal response to the protests in Minneapolis. This week’s Torah portion reminds us that Moses does not ask Pharaoh only for rest from labor, but for the right to gather and serve God together. The Passover Haggadah later names this movement “from bondage to freedom”—from enforced silence to shared voice. Our tradition teaches that freedom is never merely personal; it is communal. That insight shaped this country’s commitment to freedom of assembly and speaks powerfully today, even amid non-violent protests in places like Minneapolis. Whenever people are denied the right to assemble peacefully for justice, Pharaoh has not vanished. He has simply learned to speak a new language.