The Voices of Emanu El Podcast

Only Light, Only Love: Cantor Rollin Simmons in Conversation with Phillip Hall

In this special episode of Voices of Emanu El, Cantor Rollin Simmons sits down with pianist Phillip Hall to explore their eight-year musical partnership and the powerful bond between Congregation Emanu El and his choir, the Phillip Hall Singers. They reflect on an unforgettable Music at Emanu El concert honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sharing stories behind “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Stand By Me,” “Total Praise,” and the original setting of “Only Light,” inspired by Dr. King’s timeless words that “only light” and “only love” can drive out hate. Along the way, Phillip traces his journey from church hymns at age five to forming a genre-blending gospel ensemble, and together they talk about grief, healing, and how Jewish and Black gospel traditions meet on the bimah to build a world of love through music.

Standing in the Ruins with the Stranger’s Heart

Rabbi Josh Fixler, with writing partner Scott Esserman, reflects on a childhood story from his grandfather, who once stood outside a Berlin movie theater under a sign that read “Jews not wanted,” and links it to the Torah’s repeated command: “Do not oppress the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Through teachings from Parashat Mishpatim, the Talmud, and Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman Shapira, he shows how God’s tears over injustice water the “stranger’s heart” within us, calling us to radical compassion and courageous action. Listen as we explore how to stand in the ruins, tear down signs of exclusion, and become a blessing in dark times.
(Credit for opening sequence, an interview with Fred Marcus, Rabbi Fixler's grandfather: USC Shoah Foundation)

Rock Words: The Ten Commandments for a Modern World

In this episode of the Voices of Emanu El podcast, guest Rabbi Seth Stander retells the giving of the Ten Commandments as God’s “rock words,” adapted from Rabbi Mark Gelman’s beloved story. With humor and heart, he explores what it means to worship more than “stuff,” to use God’s name for gratitude not curses, and to see Shabbat as a weekly reminder that work is what we do — not who we are.
Rabbi Stander also reflects on honoring parents across generations, the many forms of stealing and truth-telling, and the pull to covet what belongs to someone else instead of becoming the best version of ourselves. As we revisit Parashat Yitro, we are invited to keep studying, questioning, and living these commandments so we can meet — or even exceed — our Creator’s aspirations for us.

The Soundtrack of Our Judaism

In this week's episode, Rabbi Pam Silk begins with a 1984 classroom and a silent Wile E. Coyote cartoon to show how music brings stories — and our spirits — to life. From the Shema on the lips of our youngest learners to Shirat Hayam, the Song of the Sea, at the Sea of Reeds, she explores how song builds bridges between individuals, unites communities, and connects us across generations. This Shabbat Shirah teaching lifts up Miriam’s tambourine, the call-and-response of our tradition, and the hope of a future Shir Chadash, a new song that will usher in a world redeemed from suffering and hate.

Will You Be Paralyzed by the Darkness or Be the Light?

In this week's episode of The Voices of Emanu El, Rabbi Josh Fixler explores the ninth plague’s “thick darkness” and asks a haunting question: Will you be paralyzed by the darkness, or will you be the light? Through Rashi, Midrash Tanchuma, and the teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter and the Kotzker Rebbe, we explore how spiritual blindness to our neighbor’s pain can leave us stuck, and how truly seeing one another becomes the first step toward growth.
We then turn to the mystical notion of Or HaGanuz, the primordial light of creation, reframing it as the hidden light planted in everyday acts of courage, kindness, and shared humanity. In a moment when the world’s darkness feels inescapable, Rabbi Fixler invites us to become cultivators of light and to ask: Where will we choose to shine it, and for whom is it most needed now?

Be Kind: Empathy, Power, and Parashat Va-eira

At a recent professional retreat, Rabbi Pam Silk chose a simple pin that read “Be kind” and found it echoing through this week’s Torah portion, Va-eira. Drawing on the story of Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, and the plagues, she explores how Jewish tradition insists that true freedom demands empathy, restraint, and responsibility toward those over whom we hold power. Citing Rabbi Ben Hollander, Rashi, and the Jerusalem Talmud, Rabbi Silk reflects on God’s charge to confront hardship with patience, respect, and a commitment to act differently than Pharaoh. ​
This week, Rabbi Silk invites us to choose kindness — in struggle and in triumph — and to use that kindness to add goodness and blessing to the world.

Beyond ‘Judeo‑Christian’: Midwives, Madison, Jefferson, and True Religious Freedom

This week, guest Rabbi David Segal explores how the term “Judeo‑Christian” has shifted from a specific historical idea to a vague political slogan and why that matters for religious freedom today. Drawing on the Torah story of midwives Shiphrah and Puah and the work of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in Virginia, he shows how Jewish and American traditions alike resist state‑sponsored religion and call us to protect conscience and human dignity for all.​
Rabbi Segal reflects on Christian nationalism, the misuse of “Judeo‑Christian values,” and what it really means to fear God, love our neighbor, and safeguard a pluralistic democracy.

Between Kindness and Honesty: Jacob’s Final Blessings and True Leadership

On the first Shabbat of 2026, Rabbi Pam Silk reflects on Jacob’s stark, honest words to his sons in Parshat Vayechi and what they reveal about real leadership and responsibility. Moving from childhood memories of New Year’s cards to the Torah’s challenging images of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, and their brothers, we explore how truth-telling, even when uncomfortable, can shape character and community. Rabbi Silk invites us to balance flowery New Year’s wishes with courageous honesty, and to cultivate the traits of strength, discernment, and integrity that our time demands.

Joseph and Dinah: A Trans Tale

What if Dinah and Joseph were always telling a queer story the Torah never quite finished? Rabbi Josh Fixler revisits Dinah’s disappearance and Joseph’s “coat of many colors” as a princess dress, drawing on classical midrash and modern scholarship to uncover a trans-affirming reading of these siblings. ​
We explore:
✅ Dinah’s trauma, erasure, and the reality that so many victims lose their voice in the record of history.
​✅ Joseph’s gender nonconforming presentation in Bereshit Rabbah and the tradition that links their garment to Tamar’s royal dress. ​
✅ Ancient midrashim that imagine Dinah and Joseph’s genders being swapped in the womb, and what that might mean for trans and nonbinary Jews today. ​
✅ The violence and homelessness transgender people face in our own time, and how Jewish text can move us toward protection, dignity, and joy for all God’s children.
This is a Torah of complexity, compassion, and courage — an invitation to see the divine spark shining brightest when each person can live as their truest self.

Blessing the Mothers: Love, Loss, and Legacy

On this Mother’s Day Shabbat, Rabbi Pam Silk reflects on the many faces of motherhood: joy and exhaustion, gratitude and grief, presence and absence. Drawing on Torah, contemporary stories, and the language of Jewish blessing, she honors mothers, grandmothers, caregivers, and all who “mother” in less conventional ways, while making space for those who find this day complicated or painful. This heartfelt sermon invites listeners to name the women who shaped them and to carry their love forward with tenderness and intention.