Rooted and Rising: Sermons from Washington Hebrew Congregation

SPECIAL SUKKOT EDITION: A Holiday Conversation with Rabbi Miller & Rabbi Schmelkin

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 symbo

SERMON: Tasting the Tree of Life, Rabbi Sue Shankman, September 25, 2026

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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: Against the Grain, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, September 21, 2026

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 thro

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "What the Engineers and Jonah Missed," Rabbi Eliana Fischel ft. Cantor Susan Bortnick singing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors", September 21, 2026

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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "Spread the Light," Rabbi Sue Shankman, September 20, 2026

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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "Builders," Rabbi Aaron Miller, September 20, 2026

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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "Homecoming," Rabbi Aaron Miller (Sept. 11, 2026)

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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "Washington Hebrew: The Place My Heart Loves," Rabbi Susan Shankman, Sept. 12, 2026

"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

HIGH HOLY DAY SERMON: "The Light Beyond The Noise," Rabbi Eliana Fischel ft. Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin

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 Wo

SERMON: Choosing the Way Forward (September 4, 2026): Rabbi Eliana Fischel, Shabbat@WHC

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 fo

A Sermon in Song (August 28, 2026): Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin and Cantor Susan Bortnick, Shabbat@WHC

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

SERMON: "What Are We Valuing?" (August 21, 2026): Rabbi Eliana Fischel, Shabbat@WHC

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

SERMON: In Pursuit of Truth (August 14, 2026): Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Shabbat@WHC

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 whe

SPECIAL EPISODE (August 12, 2026): Behind the High Holy Days, Rabbis Sue Shankman and Eliana Fischel

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 tradition

SERMON (August 7, 2026): The Life in Our Hands, Rabbi Sue Shankman, Shabbat@WHC

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.

SERMON (July 31, 2026): Noticing the Blessings, Rabbi Sue Shankman, Shabbat@WHC

"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 blessi

SERMON (July 24, 2026): A Jewish Tradition of Debate and Unity, Rabbi Sue Shankman, Shabbat@WHC

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

SERMON (July 17, 2026): Better Tomorrow Than Yesterday, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, Shabbat@WHC

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

SERMON (July 10, 2026): When Flexibility Becomes Sacred, Rabbi Eliana Fischel, Shabbat@WHC

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

SERMON (June 26, 2026): I Am an American, Rabbi Sue Shankman, America 250 Shabbat

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."