Rabbi's Update 10/3/2025
- rabbi423
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Dear Friends:
The Israelis have a wonderful concept known as אחרי החגים, “after the holidays.” By which they mean “after Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah”, not “after Yom Kippur.” The period from a couple of days before Rosh Hashanah through the end of Simchat Torah in Israel resembles the United States from a couple of days before Christmas through January 2. Those of us who live in the United States or other Diaspora societies, particularly those of us who are Jewish professionals or traditionally observant Jews who work in non-Jewish professionals (who in some ways have it worse than Jewish professionals) are faced with the expectation that normal activities will continue while we are also preparing for and observing a whole bunch of holidays. Given that, my message this morning will be briefer than usual.
I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make our Yom Kippur services so meaningful. Our “guest guest Cantor” Barnaby Yeh did a wonderful job with little time to prepare and never having lead before the particular services he was tasked with leading on Yom Kippur Our Torah and haftarah readers and gabbai’im did a great job, and I want to particularly recognize Jacob Sheib who blew shofar, chanted the Book of Jonah, did hagbah a number of times, and lead Ma’ariv at the end of Yom Kippur. Many other people helped out in various ways large and small, particularly our Administrator Joan Teich and our building custodian Jose Sanchez.
You have certainly heard about yesterday’s terrorist attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England. The fact that only two worshippers were killed (one of whom was actually shot accidentally by the police) shows the importance of the kind of security arrangements we have put into effect the last few years. The terrorist rammed a number of people outside the shul, exited and stabbed more people, and then tried to enter the synagogue. He was not able to do so because the doors were kept locked and the security volunteers from the shul as well as the rabbi were able to keep him out until the police arrived.
Ironically, the terrorist attack in Manchester reinforced two points I made in my sermons on Yom Kippur:
Jews are not responsible for the policies of the Israeli government but are nevertheless often held responsible for them, and
These kinds of attacks demonstrate precisely why Israel is a necessity.
If you want to watch the videos of my sermons from Yom Kippur they are available here:
If you’d prefer to read the texts (which are more or less as delivered but not necessarily 100 percent):
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
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