Selected Teachings 5786 High Holy Days at BJ
In their Yamim Nora’im sermons, Rabbis Roly Matalon, Felicia Sol, and Becca Weintraub reminded us that even in times of deep crisis and uncertainty, we must not give in to despair. Jewish tradition calls on us to resist surrender and refuse to let others define this moment in our history. Despite the challenges we face, we are urged to renew our resolve, hold fast to hope, and continue the sacred work of building a more just and compassionate world.
Watch all of the High Holy Day Sermons and kavannot here or explore some highlights below.
A Year of Blessing
Rabbi Roly Matalon: “We pray for a year in which the blessings in our lives and in the world will overcome and overshadow the curses.”
Watch Roly’s full teaching below.
Today is not yesterday
Rabbi Felicia Sol: “May God bless this year and may we remember that 5786 is not 5785. Starting right now. Today is not yesterday and 5786 is pregnant with possibility. Let it bring in blessing.”
Watch Felicia’s full teaching below.
Changing the world begins with changing ourselves
Rabbi Roly Matalon: “The first step is to move from despair to the courage to locate ourselves honestly in our grief, in our vulnerability and uncertainty, in our truths, and then our responsibility. From that place, we can begin to discover the work that is uniquely ours to do as individuals and as a community, to create the space for new paths.”
Watch Roly’s full teaching below.
I am my prayer
In a conversation reflecting on Rabbi Roly Matalon’s 40 years serving as a rabbi at BJ, Roly shares what prayer he is holding now.
“My place is in the words, in Jewish prayer, in the words of the mahzor and the words of the siddur and searching in there until something clicks in us – and in the Divine also – something awakens. And then the world can turn. And move to a better place.”
Watch Rabbi Roly Matalon’s full conversation with Rabbi Felicia Sol below.
Raising our voice
Rabbi Roly Matalon: “The matter depends on nothing other than us. It is up to us, and therefore it is imperative that we ask ourselves, what is our part – not only in our own failures and brokenness – but also in the spiritual and moral brokenness of our time?”
Watch Roly’s full teaching below.
Taking responsibility
Rabbi Felicia Sol: “It is a positive commandment to be conscious of the existence of free choice. It’s an astonishing and revolutionary commandment. What glory and audacity it gives to the human spirit. What power to change, to transform, to return.”
Watch Felicia’s full teaching below.
Reclaiming our voice for the future of Judaism we want
Rabbi Roly Matalon: “We can walk away allowing others to define and build the Judaism with a future for us. Or we can lean in, step forward and claim our voice, our vision, and our responsibility in shaping the Judaism we wish to live and to unfold.”
Watch Roly’s full teaching below.
We will answer the call
Throughout our history, Jewish leaders have answered the sacred call to reimagine our community for the needs of the world we live in. While the task might be daunting, Rabbi Felicia Sol reaffirms that we will not be deterred. Instead, we will respond to the pressing need to create the Judaism we need right now.
Rabbi Felicia Sol: “I am here to tell you that we will not walk away from the call, and we are will not walk away from the promise, not of Judaism and not of Israel, because if we walk away, we know what will remain.”
Watch Felicia’s full teaching below.
There are no shortcuts
Rabbi Felicia Sol: “But redemption is still out there. Peace is still out there…Justice is still out there. And it starts with us.”
Watch Felicia’s full teaching below.
Searching for the sacred in a broken world
Rabbi Becca Weintraub: “This is where we are called to go today right now within ourselves within others to face both the broken and the whole to find the place where the divine is waiting with love and compassion and forgiveness. to be reminded of the inherent value of all of humanity.”
Watch Becca’s full teaching below.
Find your purpose
Rabbi Roly Matalon: “There are moments when a deep and honest sense of who we are awakens and we feel a pull into the path of our own purpose”
Watch Roly’s full teaching below.