Explore every episode of the podcast Rooted and Rising: Sermons from Washington Hebrew Congregation

What does it REALLY take for our clergy to prepare for the High Holy Days? Rabbis Sue Shankman and Eliana Fischel pull back the curtain! How do they balance the traditions we know and love with the need to keep things fresh? What happens behind the scenes and on the bimah that we may not know about? Get the inside scoop, and stick around for a surprise reveal at the end.

Re’eh teaches us that life is shaped by the choices we make, and that we have the power to choose blessing, even in challenging moments.

"Abundance has a way of resetting our eyes." Running water, microwave ovens, a simple meal.

When our ordinary becomes routine, it's easy to stop noticing all the blessings we've been given. In Judaism, we're reminded to pause, look again, and appreciate.

Jewish tradition has long embraced debate, but never at the expense of the community. Even when there is disagreement, Rabbi Shankman's Shabbat@WHC sermon reminds us that we are always part of one Jewish family.

As we prepare for the High Holy Days, Rabbi Schmelkin reminds us that teshuvah begins when we acknowledge where we've fallen short, while remembering our capacity to grow, change, and move forward.

Sometimes, our greatest strength isn't found in holding firm, but in knowing when to bend. Rabbi Eliana Fischel's Shabbat@WHC sermon explores how loosening our rules and routines can open the door to unexpected moments of sacredness.

Looking ahead to America's 250th birthday, Rabbi Shankman shares a poem written by her late grandfather, Chaplain Rabbi Jacob P. Shankman, titled "I am an American."

In her Juneteenth sermon, guest speaker Rabbi Kelly Whitehead challenges us to rethink imagination — not as something reserved for children or artists, but as a powerful tool for envisioning a future we never thought possible.

Ricky Woler talks about the importance of community for LGBTQ+ Jews; Rockville High School student CJ Murray talks about how his confirmation class drastically changed his perspective on his identity; and Ramona and Sue Oliver-Walitsky talk about their love story that started through politics and continues through their vibrant WHC family.

The Torah teaches us that even those who cause us pain are deserving of compassion. Rabbi Eliana Fischel explores this idea through a personal encounter in her Shabbat@WHC sermon.

Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin delivers a sermon on how each of us deals with grief in our own way. From the Shavuot Festival & Yizkor Service, May 23, 2026.

What if freedom begins when we stop being afraid of each other? Rabbi Aaron Miller’s sermon connects the Exodus story to the challenge of seeing one another not as ideologies, but as human beings.

Whether in big ways or small, there’s something beautiful that happens when we show up for one another. In this week’s Shabbat@WHC sermon, Rabbi Shankman explores the power of coming together to create something bigger than ourselves.

Taylor Swift and circumcision: two topics you never thought you'd hear together! Hear how Rabbi Eliana Fischel weaves them into a lesson on peeling back our layers in Friday's Shabbat@WHC sermon.