Remembering Dr. Andrea Weiss: Lifting Up a Life of Torah

In this episode of The Voices of Emanu El, Rabbi Josh Fixler offers a heartfelt reflection on the life and legacy of his and Cantor Rollin Simmons' teacher, Rabbi Dr. Andrea Weiss, co-editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. He recalls her commitment to a multivocal Torah, her embodiment of chesed (loving kindness), and the way her scholarship opened doors for women and men alike to see themselves in our sacred texts. Rabbi Fixler also shares the story of the “American Values and Religious Voices” project and how Rabbi Weiss turned to the Bible for moral clarity in times of national uncertainty. The episode features her own teaching on Exodus 15 and the transformation of bitter waters into sweet, along with the Psalms that sustained her through illness. May her memory continue to be a blessing and an enduring source of courage, justice, and compassion.