Voices

Reflections from Recent Interfaith Program

Posted on June 5, 2023

Cantor Laureate Sarah Sager Reflects on the Recent Women of Fairmount Temple’s Program with Our Sisters’ Keepers On Sunday afternoon, May 7, the Women of Fairmount Temple hosted a gathering of members of a unique organization in our city – Our Sisters’ Keepers.  This is a women’s interfaith group started in 2017 by women from Continue Reading »

Learning from the Past by Retelling the Stories of our People

Posted on May 10, 2023

Noah Zelin, graduate of Fairmount Temple’s Religious School and recipient of the Rabbi Barnett Brickner Award, delivered D’var Torah at the May 5, 2023, Shabbat Service which included the Religious School graduation ceremony. Shabbat Shalom! As we are gathered here to honor this year’s graduating 12th grade class, I’ve thought back on the impact Fairmount Continue Reading »

Praying Hashkiveinu

Posted on April 27, 2023

In a sermon she shared at the April 21 Shabbat Evening Service,  Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum shares a loving tribute to Israel. Hashkiveinu – This prayer is something we recite each evening, and there we ask to feel God’s protective presence over us, over Jerusalem, and over the world. As we approach Yom Ha’atzmeut, I’m thinking Continue Reading »

Purim’s Cautionary Tale for the Modern State of Israel

Posted on March 6, 2023

Rabbi Joshua Caruso shares his March 3 sermon about Purim and our current world of increasing antisemitism: Happy Purim! It’s the time of year to enjoy sweet-filled Hamantaschen, swing the grogger, and attend the Megilla reading! It’s common for folks to dress up in costumes, be silly in the Purim Spiel, and take the kids Continue Reading »

True Privilege of Serving as a Poll Observer

Posted on November 3, 2022

Cantor Laureate Sarah Sager shared her in recent virtual meditation/reflection (found here), her positive experience of serving a poll observer during early voting. Although I was nervous about doing it for two days in advance, I had the true privilege of serving as a poll observer during early voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Continue Reading »

Mayfield Cemetery is Filled with History, Memories and Family Connections

Posted on October 30, 2022

I recently visited Mayfield Cemetery to get to know our park-like cemetery. The grounds are beautiful and I was struck by how many family names I recognized. Enjoy the photo essay below sharing a little bit about my experience. Consider a visit to walk around the grounds. Perhaps you’ll feel the same sense of history Continue Reading »

Lost and Found and

Posted on October 11, 2022

This sermon,  Lost and Found and, was shared by Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum during Yom Kippur, 2022. Lost and Found and When I was fifteen and a half, I got my learner’s permit. This temporary license came with a great sense of excitement, responsibility, and freedom. I lived in Cincinnati at the time, and by the Continue Reading »

Time Flies

Posted on October 11, 2022

This sermon, Time Flies,  was shared by Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk during the Yom Kippur Afternoon Yizkor Service,  Oct. 5, 2022.    We are here at this Yizkor Memorial Service and I want you to know…I am also positively heartened by seeing many of you physically present in front of my eyes. I feel your presence Continue Reading »

“Eyn Li Eretz Acheret” – Why We Support Israel and Zionism

Posted on October 7, 2022

This sermon was shared by Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk during the Kol Nidre Sanctuary Service,  Oct. 4 , 2022.    We’ve all seen that compelling moment in a courtroom drama when a central character agrees to testify. We are led to believe the testimony will help justice to be served. But a stern warning is soon Continue Reading »

Regrets, I’ve Had a Few…

Posted on October 6, 2022

This sermon, “Regrets, I’ve Had a Few…”, was shared by Rabbi Joshua Caruso on Yom Kippur, Oct. 5, 2022. For some of you, it is not a big secret that I went to high school with the actress Jennifer Aniston. She and I actually graduated in the same year, and we even took a class Continue Reading »