Rabbi David Baum

Parashat Ki Tissa 2025-5785 We Are Not Boring: The Secret History Jewish America  by Rabbi David Baum Congregation Shaarei Kodesh...

Who in your life lit the flame of Judaism for you? Maybe it was a rabbi or a teacher, or it could have been a family member who didn’t...

Parashat Terumah 2025/5785 Shabbat Shekalim When I was 16, I stepped into the famous Krakow synagogue along with other teens on the March...

Parashat Mishpatim - Rabbi David Baum When we were in Israel this summer, we visited Israel's Library of Congress. As you walk into the...

This week, on Monday, January 27, we observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day. I reflected on a powerful message through a sermon...

One of the things I often hear from our chaverim/congregants who have made a connection with Shaarei Kodesh is a version of this...

Rabbi David Baum, Congregation Shaarei Kodesh Shabbat Va-era 2025-5785 Early in the film Selma, which tells the story of the famous march...

This Shabbat is bittersweet, much like the book of Exodus. Today, we are overjoyed with the prospect that the hostages will be returning...

Parashat Vayehi - Rabbi David Baum, Congregation Shaarei Kodesh Click Above to Watch What if you were the last Jew on earth? What if you...

During these past two weeks, we have seen the blessings of the fire as we lit our Hanukkiot, but we have also seen the destruction that...

Parashat Vayeishev, Rabbi David Baum December 21, 2024 - 20 Kislev 5785 (click on the picture above for the video version of the sermon...

Rabbi David Baum - Parashat Vayishlach Delivered on Shabbat morning, December 14, 2024 Congregation Shaarei Kodesh (AI-Generated picture...

Parashat Chayyei Sarah I have had many memorable Thanksgivings, but there is one I will never forget. Alissa and I were dating long...

Parashat Vayera 2024 Mayor Ed Koch’s famously said: “If you agree with me on 9 out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12...

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Some characters have changed, although some key characters haven't, and the stakes...

This Election Day, may we find the strength to rise above our selfish impulses and renew our sense of shared purpose.

During the summer, I asked a question: Do you remember where you were when you heard Osama bin Laden was killed by Seal Team 6? It was in...

Yom Kippur Sermon 2024-5785 This summer, Alissa and I went on our first trip without the kids for over three days in 18 years. We went to...

Kol Nidre - 2024/5785 Rabbi David Baum This week, my friend and colleague Rabbi Philip Weintraub called me and asked for a favor. He...

Rosh Hashanah Sermon by Rabbi David Baum 2024/5785 Have you ever heard of a 'Where were you when' moment? They are few and far between,...