Rabbi’s Sermon: Yom Kippur 2025
By Rabbi Gail Fisher Good YomTov. In the Talmud (Menachot 53b), we’re told that despite their sins, God will remember the Jewish people and save them from all the evils …
Rabbi’s Sermon: Rosh Hashanah 2025
By Rabbi Gail Fisher Shana Tova! I volunteer in a retirement community. A few years ago, I was helping out in the chapel during a church service – picking up …
Rabbi’s Sermon from May 10th, 2025
By Rabbi Gail Fisher Today we read from Leviticus chapter 19, called the Holiness Code. It begins by telling us – all of us – that we should be holy …
A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM RABBI ARNOLD SALTZMAN
Dear Congregant, In a time of events which have caused unfathomable suffering, we find that even in this time we are inspired by selflessness and sacrifice as we witness rescuers …
Rabbi’s Sermon: “Rule 19”
by Rabbi Arnold Saltzman How do we explain that a gifted and dedicated woman in the United States Senate, Senator Elizabeth Warren, was silenced this past week by using Rule …
What Is In a Musical Note? Or: Therapy for a Rabbi-Cantor
This was Rabbi Saltzman’s sermon during our Dec. 10 Shabbat morning service: You may be surprised by this, but rabbis and cantors can be good candidates for therapy. As a …
New Season in the Spiritual Cycle
By Rabbi Arnold Saltzman This article appeared in the Washington Jewish Week at http://washingtonjewishweek.com/33731/new-season-in-the-spiritual-cycle/editorial-opinion/torah_commentary/ That week’s Torah portion was Nitzavim, Deuteronomy 29:9 – 30:20. The synagogue poet Ruth Brin wrote, …
Rabbi’s Sermon: “Elie Wiesel: Survivor and Conscience of the Mankind”
by Rabbi Arnold Saltzman In Manhattan, New York, on July 2, 2016, Elie Wiesel passed away at the age of 87. The name Elie is short for Eliezer. He was …
A Wilderness Survival Guide
Rabbi’s Sermon by Rabbi Arnold Saltzman Parashat Bamidbar, Numbers: 1:1-4:20 Bamidbar, while speaking literally of wilderness, offers us a remarkable number of rich images and ideas: The taking a census …
Torah Commentary Parashat Bo Exodus 10:1-13:16
by Rabbi Arnold Saltzman This week’s parsha, Bo, continues the narrative of Moses and Aaron coming to Pharaoh in order to free the Israelite slaves. Pharaoh again refuses. Having refused …