Rabbi Joel Nickerson
Installation of Senior Rabbi Joel Nickerson
March 9, 2025
Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Los Angeles

Standing here today, I remember my very first time in this sanctuary. I was a rabbinical student, watching new rabbis being ordained and I was in awe as they received this great honor.  I was captivated by the ner tamid, the eternal flame that, as it flickered, seemed to whisper to me that my future as a rabbi would be bright. I remember looking up at the ceiling and saying, "This place is incredible!" It was a space so majestic and inspiring that it defied all my expectations, simultaneously revealing possibilities for my journey I could have never imagined.

Now, as I officially become the rabbi who gets to call this bimah my forever home, I am once again in awe and overwhelmed. It's no coincidence that this weekend's Torah portion introduced us to the concept of that eternal flame, the light found above this ark and in sanctuaries worldwide. Because the light is once again telling me something profound - that with our help, from all of us here at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the future of the Jewish people has the chance to be brighter than ever before!