Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer served the New London Synagogue as its Interim Rabbi from October 2005 until July 2007.
A former President of the International Rabbinical Assembly, he is one of the founders of the Masorti Movement in Israel and is currently Head of the Massorti Beth Din in Israel.
Rabbi Hammer is a prolific writer and his articles appear often in the Israeli press and elsewhere. Two of his books, Sifre, A Taanaitic Commentary on Deuteronomy and Entering the High Holy Days, were awarded the National Jewish Book Council prize as the best book of scholarship for the year. He has also written The Jerusalem Anthology, Entering Jewish Prayer and The Classic Midrash. His latest work, a commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom, entitled Or Hadash was published in March 2003. All of Rabbi Hammer's books currently in print can be purchased from the Synagogue office.
In 2003 he was awarded the Simon Greenberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Rabbinate by the Zeigler Rabbinical School of the University of Judaism. In that same year he was named one of the “Forward 50,” – a list of the most influential members of the American Jewish community. In the citation the Forward wrote that he is “arguably the most important religious leader in the (Conservative) Movement.”
His leadership, guidance and teaching was truly inspirational and we are pleased to offer the following archive of sermons and articles by Rabbi Hammer from his time at New London.
Prisoners of Hope - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Opening the Gates - Published in the Jerusalem Post - The Way of Hesed - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Celebrating Sinai - Published in the Jerusalem Post - The Wonder of Israel - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Belief and Disbelief - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Do Not Destroy - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Celebrating the Light - Reclaiming Rosh Hashanah - Published in the Jerusalem Post - My Beloved Is Mine - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Reclaiming our Heritage - Published in the Jerusalem Post - The Limits of Mourning - Published in the Jerusalem Post - A Utopian Vision - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Under the Mountain - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Sermon - Hariditizatzia (B’har 2008/5768) - Days of Sadness and Days of Joy - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Sermon - Instruction of the Priests (Vayikra 2008/5768) - Sermon - How do you build a sanctuary? (Vayakhel 2008/5768) - Adam and Eve at the Feast - published in the Jerusalem Post - We Have Reason to Believe - published in the Jerusalem Post - A Living People - published in the Jerusalem Post - What is Chanukah - published in the Jerusalem Post - Daily Thanksgiving - published in the Jerusalem Post - Meditations on Kristallnacht - published in the Jerusalem Post - Mitzvot for Moderns - published in the Jerusalem Post - The Chosen People - published in the Jerusalem Post - Finding the Balance - published in the Jerusalem Post - Sermon - "The Long Goodbye" (Vaetchanan 2007/5767) - Sermon - "Crossing the Jordan - or not" (Mattot- Massai 2007/5767) - Sermon - "To Believe Or Not To Believe…That Is The Question" (Balak 2007/5767) - Sermon - "Mitzvot : The Key To Jewish Living" (Chukat 2007/5767) - Sermon - War and Peace (Naso 2007/5767) - Sermon - Shavuot 2007/5767 - Sermon - "The Triple Tongue" (Tazria-M’tzora 2007/5767) - Sermon - It Ain’t Necessarily So (Shmini 2007/5767) - Sermon - The Three Freedoms (Pesach 2007/5767) - Sermon - Revealing the Past and Creating the Future (Vayakhel/Pikudei 2007/5767) - Sermon - What DO we worship? (Ki Tisa 2007/5767) - Sermon - Where does God dwell? (Terumah 2007/5767) - Sermon - Are we really a Kingdom of Priests? (Yitro 2007/5767) - Sermon - Remembrance and Denial (Bo 2007/5767) - Sermon - A Tribute to Heschel (Va'era 2007/5767) - Sermon - When Great Ones Die: Remembering Teddy Kollek (Vayechi 2007/5767) - Sermon - "Let there be light" (Chanukah 2006/5767) - Sermon - Dishonourable Conduct (VaYishlach 2006/5767)) - Sermon - Dreams and Visions (Vayetzei 2006/5767) - Sermon - Ask The Maiden (Chayei Sarah 2006/5767) - Sermon - A Message from Rembrandt (Ekev 2006/5766) - Yohanan Ben Zakkai - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Why British Jews should be like the Pharisees - Published in the Jewish Chronicle - The Song of Prayer - At Kol Nefesh, in honour of the ordination of Jacky Chernett as Hazzan - Sermon - Mourning Our Leaders (Chukat/Balak 2006/5766) - Sermon - A Woman’s Place (Naso 2006/5766) - Sermon - Mystic Moments (Shavuot 5766) - Sermon - Talking Together: The Jewish-Presbyterian Dialogue. (B’har B’chukotai 2006/5766) - On Pharisees and Shavuot - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Sermon - Counting Up or Down - Sermon - How Kosher Is Kosher? (Sh’mini 2006/5766) - Sermon - What’s So Great About This Day? (Shabbat HaGadol 2006/5766) - Solomon Schechter - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Sermon - Finding Sinai (Yitro - 2006/5766) - Sermon - Singing at the Sea (B'Shalach 2006/5766) - On Conversion - Published in the Jerusalem Post - Halakhah For Today - Published in the Jerusalem Post - 