The New Reform Temple of Kansas City

06/15/2026

06/12/2026

Rabbi David Levinsky, Becky & Nathan Bliss

06/12/2026

We often hear nothing but silence when we pray. Where is God at these moments? We hope for clear answers. We hope for some kind of experience beyond the everyday. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us, whether in a conversation with a friend or in the beauty of the natural world. God’s answer is not always obvious. Sometimes it’s another question: Where are you? May this Shabbat deepen our awareness of the wonder already around us and help us discover that even silence can become a place of encounter and blessing.

I’d love to see you,
Rabbi David Levinsky, Ph.D.

06/05/2026

Rabbi Linda Steigman, Becky & Nathan Bliss

05/29/2026

Rabbi David Levinsky, Becky & Nathan Bliss

05/29/2026

This Shabbat’s Torah portion, Beha’alotecha, begins with the lighting of the menorah in the ancient Temple. The rabbis taught that the flame had to be held to the wick “until it rises on its own.” Over time, the menorah became a symbol of the human soul and the inner light each of us carries. This week’s sermon reflects on how that inner light is cultivated through Torah, prayer, and spiritual life — but also how it is meant to move outward through acts of chesed, lovingkindness. Small acts of compassion and care have the power to illuminate another person’s life in ways we may never fully know.

Services at 6 PM

I'd love to see you,
Rabbi David Levinsky Ph.D.

05/22/2026

Rabbi David Levinsky & Michelle Cox

05/22/2026

Today is Shavuot, a holiday I had no idea existed before a Jewish Studies course in college. Even rabbis have a learning curve. This holiday, which is traditionally the day the Torah was given at Sinai, teaches us that joy is not separate from spiritual life. In Jewish tradition, revelation is not only something that happened long ago at Sinai. It continues whenever Torah brings connection and happiness into our lives. The teachings of Nachman of Breslov and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev remind us that joy keeps the soul open. In our community and through kindness, joy enters ordinary life. May this Shabbat renew our sense of connection and bring us joy.

I’d love to see you,
Rabbi David Levinsky, Ph.D.

05/15/2026

Rabbi David Levinsky, Becky & Nathan Bliss

05/15/2026

Shabbat arrives as a reminder that life cannot be lived entirely at one extreme. We spend much of the week striving and producing. Then Shabbat interrupts that rhythm, helping us notice where life may have drifted out of balance. Jewish wisdom teaches that a meaningful life is not built through constant intensity or withdrawal from the world; rather learning to move between different reactions to life around us. This is difficult and necessary. May this Shabbat help us to find the balance we need for happy and meaningful lives.

I'd love to see you,
Rabbi David Levinsky Ph.D.