PAST ARTICLES AND SERMONS FROM RABBI BAIR
Rabbi Ethan Bair
JULY 2013 TO JUNE 2018
Email: RabbiBair@tbsmb.org
Rabbi Ethan Bair grew up in Boston where he was raised by spiritual seekers who rediscovered their Judaism through the Jewish Renewal movement. A graduate of Oberlin College and a former Fulbright scholar to Germany, Rabbi Bair was ordained at the Reform seminary, Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, in 2011. He wrote his Rabbinic thesis on “Re-Envisioning Reform Jewish Prayer,” with Dr. Rachel Adler. While in rabbinical school, he was a recipient of the prestigious Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship, which brought together future Reform and Conservative rabbis to learn about volunteer engagement, strategic planning and synagogue management. Stemming from this experience, Rabbi Bair would describe himself as a member of a new generation of Jewish leaders for whom denominations are secondary to transformational Jewish experience. For more than 11 years he has served congregations in Ogden, Utah; Vancouver, British Columbia; Sun Valley, Idaho; and San Rafael, CA. Most recently, he worked at American Jewish World Service, a global Jewish non-profit working to realize human rights in the developing world. Before that, he served as Campus Rabbi at the University of Southern California Hillel.
Rabbi Bair served Temple Sinai as our Senior Rabbi for five years before moving on to an an Assistant Rabbi position at Temple Beth Shalom in Miami Beach, FL. Rabbi Bair is committed to creating a participatory and authentic Jewish prayer culture; promoting inter-faith social justice work; and integrating Jewish studies with traditional Jewish sources into his repertoire of teaching. He enjoys running, hiking, singing, and welcoming Shabbat guests into his home with his wife, Nadya who has a PhD in Art History.
Just a Little “This and That”
First and foremost, my sincere thanks to all who attended the Nevada Prayer Breakfast or called with good wishes or otherwise celebrated the event and my receiving the Vision Award. Your support was appreciated more than I can say. You all are the reason it is a blessing to serve as this congregation’s Rabbi. Oy […]
100+ Women Who Care in Washoe County
I recently learned about a really magnificent local tzedakah effort. 100+ Women Who Care in Washoe County is a group of local women, from all walks of life and different financial backgrounds, who care about our community. Their mission is to make a difference in our community through collective giving. Involvement in this group includes […]
G’ullah: If Not Now, When?
Yom Kippur Afternoon 5773 Temple Sinai, Reno, NV As our High Holiday worship draws near to completion, we arrive – in this year’s sermon series – at the blessing that concludes this package of blessings surrounding and including the Shema. This last blessing, G’ullah or the “Blessing of Redemption,” proclaims God’s saving power. This final […]
The Shema: A Little Known Verse Gone Famous
Yom Kippur Morning 5773 Temple Sinai, Reno, NV We arrive this morning, in my sermon series on “The Shema and its Blessings,” at the heart of this opening section of our prayer book, that is the Shema itself. This is a prayer that we all know well. Or do we? I’m guessing that when I […]