Rabbi’s Update 10/24/2025

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Dear Friends:

In the last couple of weeks, the American Jewish community has lost two prominent leaders. They were very different from each other and yet they had at least one major thing in common.

On Shemini Atzeret evening, Rabbi Moshe Hauer died suddenly at his home in Baltimore at age 60. Rabbi Hauer was the Executive Vice-President of the Orthodox Union (OU), the main umbrella organization of Modern Orthodox Judaism. He had been a pulpit rabbi in Baltimore for 26 years before taking the position at the OU in 2020 (I occasionally attended his synagogue B’nai Jacob Shaarei Zion when I lived in Baltimore). He was actually somewhat of an unconventional choice to lead a Modern Orthodox organization because he was a graduate of Ner Israel, a yeshiva which leans more in the direction of Haredi (“ultra Orthodox”) Judaism. He always wore a black suit, a white dress shirt, and a black velvet kippah topped by a black fedora, and observed certain Haredi communal norms like not owning or watching a television. But he also had a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins and did not share the Haredi attitude towards Zionism which ranges from ambivalence to antipathy.

Jewish leaders from across the spectrum paid sincere tribute to Rabbi Hauer upon his passing. It was noted that despite his personal adherence to strict Orthodoxy he was truly open to and respectful of Jews from other movements and paths. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, called him my “chavrusa” (study partner) and noted his sincere willingness to listen to perspectives other than his own -- and to change his perspective on communal issues as a result of these discussions. Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields, executive director of the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, often called him for advice as her own children leaned towards Orthodoxy, and said she felt like one of her own rabbis died when she heard of his passing.

On Monday Rabbi Arthur Waskow passed away at his home in Philadelphia a few days shy of his 92nd birthday. Along with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, he was one of the founders of what came to be known as Jewish Renewal. He was one of the first thinkers to introduce environmentalist concerns into Jewish life. He was a crusader for peace and human rights, the author of over two dozen books, the founder of the Shalom Center and co-founder of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. He was committing acts of civil disobedience and getting arrested well into his 80s.

Arthur Waskow’s Jewish journey was unusual. He grew up in Baltimore with two secular leftist Jewish parents. He came to DC after earning a Ph.D. in American history at the University of Wisconsin to work as an aide to Rep. Robert Kastenmeier and then, along with Marcus Raskin (father of Rep. Jamie Raskin) founded the Institute for Policy Studies. He gradually grew more interested in the intersection of Judaism and public life, helped found the Fabrangen Havurah in DC (which still exists) and in 1968 originated the first “Freedom Seder.” He received private rabbinic ordination in his 60s but was a “rebbe” to many for decades before receiving formal ordination. Like Rabbi Hauer, he was respected and even beloved by many whose perspectives were far different than his.

I met Rabbi Waskow a few times at various conferences and meetings but my strongest memory of him was actually of a phone call that he never answered. In the summer of 1984 I was an intern at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. It was a period of tension between the Jewish and Black communities and I was tasked to draft a Haggadah which would in many ways be an update of Rabbi Waskow’s Freedom Seder. One day I needed to ask him a question and got his phone number. I got his answering machine (in 1984 home answering machines were still fairly rare although growing in popularity). His recorded greeting went something like this: “I feel badly that I can’t answer your call right now, so to make it up to you I’m going to sing you a little song” -- which he proceeded to do. In most people this would have sounded strange or hokey but for him it was purely sincere and totally in character.

In an era of increasing polarization within the Jewish community (see this article for the latest example) we could use more examples of leaders who defend their own position but are willing to listen to others and treat them with respect and earn their respect in turn.

As a reminder, I am having drop-in hours on Thursday afternoons from 2 to 4 at the shul. For my drop-in hours, you do not need to make an appointment -- that would negate the whole point of drop-in hours -- but I’d urge you to check and make sure I am there regardless as sometimes there are unavoidable pastoral or other emergencies which might take me away from the building. 

As always, if I can do anything for you or you need to talk, please contact me at rabbi@kehilatshalom.org or 301-977-0768 rather than through the synagogue office. I am happy to meet you at the synagogue by appointment; if you want to speak with me it’s best to make an appointment rather than assuming I will be there when you stop by. 

Additionally, if you know of a Kehilat Shalom congregant or another member of our Jewish community who could use a phone call, please let me know.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Charles L. Arian