Rooted and Rising: Sermons from Washington Hebrew Congregation

WHC Director of Lifelong Learning Stephanie Tankel sits down with Rabbi Aaron Miller and Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin for a wide-ranging, hilarious conversation about the symbols and meanings of Sukkot.

For Sukkot, Rabbi Susan N. Shankman talks about taking time to recognize our moments of blessing, and to savor them as we do the smell of the etrog.Worshipcast license through CCS (Christian Copyright Solutions)

Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin shares how we must work to have courage in our convictions. Her sermon anthem is "One in a Long Line" by Sarah McLachlan.Worshipcast license through CCS (Christian Copyright Solutions)

What does a roller coaster ride have in common with the story of Jonah? Rabbi Eliana Fischel's sermon, featuring a sermon anthem with Cantor Susan Bortnick singing "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper.

"Let's consider the choices we've made and decide how we want to grow in the Jewish New Year.

Rabbi Aaron Miller talks about what it takes to build a lasting Jewish community. Zac Gondelman performs the sermon anthem.

Rabbi Aaron Miller delivers his Erev Rosh HaShanah sermon, "Homecoming" followed by Cantor Susan Bortnick singing "Home" by Phillip Phillips as the sermon anthem.

"Washington Hebrew: The Place My Heart Loves", is the sermon delivered by Rabbi Susan Shankman, on Rosh HaShanah, September 12, 2026. The sermon is folllowed by the debut of a commissioned piece of the same name by Cantor Becky Mann, sung by Cantor Susan Bortnick.

On Rosh HaShanah, Rabbi Eliana Fischel talks about bringing awe into our everyday lives, with inspiration from Dacher Keltner's book, "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin sings her own gorgeous rendition of Dolly Parton's "Clear Blue Morning."

No choice is too small to make a difference. As we enter a new year, Rabbi Eliana Fischel invites us to consider how the choices we make each day can create more light for the people around us, and the generations that come after us.

Featured in this video:"All the Leaves," Batya Levine"Turning of the World," Ruth Pelham"Dawn," Lee McPhillips Radlo"Return," Rachel Barenblat

We often move through life believing there is a “right” way to do things. But what if some of our choices aren't about right or wrong, but about what we value in a given moment?

At a time when misinformation can spread faster than facts, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin shares a personal story about the responsibility we have to set the record straight when we get it wrong.

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.