High Holy Days are an inflection point. They are a time to pause and absorb words of wisdom, comfort, and purpose from the bimah. As Reconstructionists across the country wrestle with the ongoing situation in the Middle East and search for light and joy, we want to share a few recent High Holy Day sermons with you. While our rabbis do not have all the answers, they have some, especially when they hold up a mirror to our collective struggles and speak about them with refreshing candor and insight. We are grateful to these rabbis for their willingness to share their messages for their community with the larger Reconstructionist community, and for the technology that makes it possible for words delivered at a specific moment in time to continue to teach and inspire us.
High Holiday Teachings to Carry Forward Into the New Year
Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, RRC ‘02, Bnai Keshet, Montclair, NJ
Rabbi Tepperman’s Rosh Hashanah sermon confronts the despair and division over the war in Israel and Gaza. While condemning the war as a “moral abomination,” the central message is a spiritual one: the community must prioritize healing over hostility by stopping the blame directed at one another. The sermon urges us to practice radical listening and choose love, empathy, and collective repair to strengthen our bonds and move from helplessness to action.
Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, RRC ‘06, SAJ-Judaism that Stands for All, New York, NY
Rabbi Grabelle Herrmann’s Kol Nidre sermon, “Building a Mishkan in which we can Hold, Honor and Engage People with Diverse opinions on Israel/Palestine” calls for compassion and connection amid deep divisions over Israel and identity. She urges Jews to reject litmus tests and instead build a “Mishkan”—a spiritual home spacious enough for all perspectives—through empathy, deep listening, and shared commitment to community despite disagreement.
Rabbi Irwin Keller, Congregation Ner Shalom, Sonoma County, CA
Rabbi Keller’s Yom Kippur sermon urges Jews to “choose life and blessing” by acting with moral courage in a time of suffering and division. It calls for compassion, justice, and an end to the violence in Gaza, insisting that silence or indifference is complicit. It reminds listeners that the strength to do what is right is already within us—and that through courageous action and care, we can help restore life and blessing to the world.
Rabbi Sarah Brammer-Shlay, RRC ‘22, Dean of Religious Life, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Rabbi Brammer-Shlay’s Erev Rosh Hashanah sermon explores the traditional metaphor of God as King, urging us to consider what is truly in our “kingdom” and what we ultimately worship. Drawing inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she elevates love as a complex, foundational spiritual and ethical center.
Rabbi Kelilah Miller, RRC ‘13, Congregation Ohev Shalom, Wallingford, PA
Rabbi Miller’s Rosh Hashanah sermon defines idolatry as assigning ultimate value to something that is not of ultimate worth. Rabbi Miller applies this concept to nationalism, arguing that placing the Nation above all other values—even as a profound or important instrument—risks worshipping the “finger” instead of the “moon.” Specifically addressing the State of Israel, the sermon cautions against letting a critical political structure replace ultimate moral and spiritual commitments, urging the community to focus on the inherent dignity of all human beings.
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President/CEO of Reconstructing Judaism
In this op-ed for Haaretz, one of Israel’s leading newspapers, Rabbi Waxman, Ph.D. reflects on the High Holy Days, October 7 and the challenges of balancing care for our own community with compassion for others. She asks: “Can we choose a path that will lead us, individually and collectively, toward our own well-being and the well-being of others not within our own tribe, to the preservation and even flourishing of the planet?”
