Rabbi Adrian M. Schell

23/09/2026

When the Hasidic master Reb Zusyah lay dying, his students tried to comfort him by insisting he had been nearly as righteous as Abraham and almost as wise as Moses.

Zusyah simply shook his head and wept. He was not afraid of heaven asking why he had failed to be Moses. The question that terrified him was entirely different:

"Zusyah, why were you not Zusyah?"

Too many of us spend our lives reading lines from a script written by someone else, making ourselves small to keep the peace, or hiding our doubts because we think faith ought to look tidy. We confuse polite acceptance with genuine community. But belonging that demands you shrink is merely a cage with soft walls.

When the Shofar sounds its final blast at Neilah, it is through a cracked, imperfect horn, an unpolished call to stop living a borrowed life and risk being seen as who you truly are.

The live recording of my Neilah sermon, Why Are You Not Yourself?, is now available to watch:

23/09/2026

When Trust Breaks: A Rosh Hashanah Sermon on Presence, Grief, and Real Apologies

The Jewish New Year rarely begins with untroubled joy. Many of us arrive carrying unhealed hurt or sitting beside empty chairs. Moving from a town race in Chelm to the mountain of Moriah, this Rosh Hashanah sermon examines the shock of feeling abandoned by those we trusted. True repentance cannot be rushed, and forgiveness cannot be demanded. Real covenant begins when we leave our celebrations behind to sit with whoever is hurting in the quiet corners of our communities.



https://youtu.be/MaxJDOjS9Rk

24/08/2026

https://rabbischell.substack.com/p/a-little-hug-from-the-torah?r=5voqvg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

How much of our spiritual anxiety comes down to a fear of losing control?

21/07/2026

When the Church of England Synod voted to "hear" Kairos II, they claimed listening wasn't agreement. But in Jewish and Christian tradition, hearing is never passive. Rabbi Adrian Schell unpacks why "just listening" becomes theological evasion—and why authentic hearing requires courage, accountability, and holding room for all grief without erasing Jewish identity. Click to watch this powerful sermon and to read more about why this document is so hurtful for Jews.

www.simanija.com/blog/kairos-ii-a-jewish-answer

28/05/2026

Welcome Is Not Enough

There's a difference between opening a door and sharing the room.

This week's Torah portion — with its "mixed multitude" and the bold question Lamah nigara? ("Why should we be excluded?") — has something urgent to say about Pride Month and trans inclusion in Jewish life.

Rabbi Adrian Schell argues that q***r and trans Jews aren't a modern challenge to Jewish tradition. They've always been part of how the Jewish community is built, contested, and renewed.

Welcome matters. But belonging demands more. 🏳️‍🌈✡️

http://www.simanija.com/blog/behaalotecha-welcome-is-not-enough

https://progressivejudaism.org.uk/rabbi-adrian-m-schell-parashat-bhaalotecha-5786/

Pride Month begins next week. Not everyone in our communities will feel the same way about it, and I think it’s worth mentioning that upfront. For some, Pride brings genuine joy. June is a month of celebration and visibility. For others, it causes discomfort and even a sense of threat. This messag...

03/05/2026

*When the canary stops singing, it warns us that the oxygen is running out.*

Following the attack in Golders Green, we must recognise the thinning air of our shared civic life. The Torah demands one standard of justice for all, and so do we now. We cannot just retreat behind high walls. It is time for politics and civic society to act, rather than only issuing statements.

I shared my reflections on this urgent issue in this week's sermon. You can read the full text on my blog: https://www.simanija.com/blog/confronting-antisemitism
or watch the recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LQuvbdmfTQk

3 likes. "We Will Not Hide Our Light | Confronting Antisemitism in the UK"

30/04/2026

We Will Not Hide | Our answer cannot only be defensive. A society that takes antisemitism seriously must make the cost of antisemitism far higher than it currently is, through education, through law, through political will, and through the moral clarity of a country that says, without equivocation: not here, and not to our neighbours. |

Our answer cannot only be defensive. A society that takes antisemitism seriously must make the cost of antisemitism far higher than it currently is, through education, through law, through political will, and through the moral clarity of a country that says, without equivocation: not here, and not t

23/04/2026

This week, as we mark Israel's 78th year of independence, the movement from grief to sovereignty feels more demanding than ever. The pain across the region remains acute, the political reality deeply fractured. What does it mean for us, sitting here in London, to mark this anniversary today?

It means that our response to loss cannot simply be despair. Our response must be a recommitment to the work of Kedoshim. We honour those who have fallen not merely by standing for a siren, but by insisting on a society—both there and here—built on justice, truth, and compassion.

www.simanija.com/blog/from-yom-hazikaron-to-yom-haatzmaut

16/04/2026

Step into the peace and joy of Shabbat with the Wimbledon Synagogue community. We welcome you to join our inclusive Reform services, streaming live from South West London.

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