From Remembrance to Responsibility
- Nov 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Shabbat Shalom from Temple Beth Shalom in Austin, Texas.
In this moving and timely sermon, Rabbi Will Hall (RWH) reflects on sacred memory, responsibility, and the choices that shape who we are—both as individuals and as a Jewish people.
Drawing from Parashat Chayei Sarah, Rabbi Hall explores Abraham’s insistence on honoring Sarah with intention and dignity, and how this connects to another moment of profound significance: the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on November 4, 1995.
Nearly 30 years later, Rabin’s legacy continues to challenge us:
--What does it mean to honor memory with seriousness and care?
--How do we resist division and baseless hatred (sinat chinam)?
--How do we choose dialogue, dignity, and peace in a fractured world?
Rabbi Hall weaves together Torah, Midrash, poetry from the newly translated Class of ’95 anthology, and a heartfelt call for each of us to “pay full value” to what is holy in our lives—relationships, community, democracy, and hope.
✨ “Memory is not passive. We invest in it. We shape it.”
✨ “The way we choose to remember becomes the way we choose to live.”
May this sermon inspire thoughtful reflection, compassionate conversation, and renewed commitment to a future built with courage, integrity, and sacred intention.
⛪ About Temple Beth Shalom
Temple Beth Shalom is a warm, welcoming Reform Jewish community in Austin, Texas—rooted in music, learning, spirituality, and connection.
Learn more: bethshalomaustin.org
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