Congregation Schaarai Zedek

This podcast features sermons from Shabbat and holiday services at Congregation Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, Florida.Congregation Schaarai Zedek is a Reform Jewish congregation established in 1894. Today, our Temple family is made up of more than 3,000 adults and children spanning four generations. We have been very fortunate to have strong spiritual leadership and an active membership throughout our 100 year history. We are led by Rabbi Joel Simon, Rabbi Micahel Weiss, Cantor Deborrah Cannizzaro, and Rabbi Emeritus Richard J. Birnholz.For more info about CSZ, please visit our website: www.zedek.org.

Congregation Schaarai Zedek is a religion podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 124 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Congregation Schaarai Zedek, a religion show with 124 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Congregation Schaarai Zedek

  "Lord, Prepare Me to Open the Gates

  Sep 25, 202622 min

  Welcome to the Schaarai Zedek Podcast, where you'll find live recordings of sermons, divrei Torah, teachings, and reflections from our Erev Shabbat and High Holy Day services. Whether you're listening on your commute, during a walk, or from home, we're glad to have you with us. This Episode: "Lord, Prepare Me to Open the Gates" Delivered by Rabbi Preston Neimeiser on Yom Kippur, Sept. 21, 2026. What does it take to open the gates of righteousness? Rabbi Neimeiser begins with the words of Psalm 118, which inspired the name of Congregation Schaarai Zedek, and traces a path through generations of Reform Jewish leaders who understood that changing the world begins by opening and changing ourselves. From the 17 Reform rabbis who answered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s call to action in St. Augustine in 1964 to the evolving practices and institutions of Reform Judaism, Rabbi Neimeiser explores a tradition that has never stopped wrestling with how to meet the needs of each new generation while remaining rooted in Jewish identity, learning and responsibility. Along the way, he reflects on the people, camps and experiences that shaped his own Jewish life, including the recent loss of Paul Reichenbach, a longtime leader of the Reform Movement whose influence reached generations of young Jews. On Yom Kippur, as we confront our own mortality and consider the legacy we will leave behind, Rabbi Neimeiser reminds us that while the institutions and programs that formed us may change or disappear, the work continues. By making ourselves sanctuaries and giving the next generation the tools to make and remake the world, we help hold the gates open a little longer. In the new year of 5787, may we walk through those gates not alone, but together, hand in hand with God and one another.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Congregation Schaarai Zedek

  Loyalty, Actually

  Sep 25, 202624 min

  Welcome to the Schaarai Zedek Podcast, where you'll find live recordings of sermons, divrei Torah, teachings, and reflections from our Erev Shabbat and High Holy Day services. Whether you're listening on your commute, during a walk, or from home, we're glad to have you with us. This Episode: "Loyalty, Actually" Delivered by Rabbi Joel Simon on Kol Nidre, Sept. 20, 2026. What makes a person, relationship, community or cause deserving of our loyalty? And what happens when something or someone we love disappoints us? Beginning with an unexpected question on a restaurant survey, Rabbi Simon explores the complicated nature of loyalty, from the Israelites and the Golden Calf to the relationships, institutions and communities that shape our lives today. Drawing on Jewish tradition and the tension between love and rebuke, Rabbi Simon considers the difference between loyalty and blind allegiance. True loyalty does not require us to ignore wrongdoing, abandon our values or remain silent. Instead, it can call us to use our voices, make room for truth and accountability, and recognize that love and disappointment can exist within the same relationship. On the sacred night of Kol Nidre, when we reflect on the promises and commitments that bind us, Rabbi Simon invites us to examine our own loyalties: Which should we renew? Which require us to speak up? Which remain worthy of our patience and commitment? And which may finally require us to let go? In a time when many feel disconnected from people and communities that once felt like home, this sermon asks how we can remain true to our values while leaving room for disagreement, compassion and relationship, building bonds in which we can feel supported, safe, trusted and, ultimately, at home.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Congregation Schaarai Zedek

  Hineni: Keeping It Real in an Artificial World

  Sep 15, 202630 min

  A Rosh Hashanah sermon delivered during the Late Service at Congregation Schaarai Zedek.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Congregation Schaarai Zedek

  Responding to Ye: A Sermon on Accountability and Repentance

  Jun 26, 202622 min

  Welcome to the Schaarai Zedek Podcast, where you'll find live recordings of sermons, divrei Torah, teachings, and reflections from our Erev Shabbat and High Holy Day services. Whether you're listening on your commute, during a walk, or from home, we're glad to have you with us. This Episode: "Responding to Ye: A Sermon on Accountability and Repentance" Delivered by Rabbi Joel Simon on June 19, 2026. In response to Ye's (formerly known as Kanye West) scheduled concerts in Tampa and his long history of antisemitic rhetoric, Rabbi Simon explores one of Judaism's most profound teachings: teshuvah, the process of repentance and return. Drawing from the writings of Maimonides and Jewish tradition, Rabbi Simon explains that true repentance is far more than expressing regret. It requires acknowledging the harm caused, making amends where possible, and demonstrating lasting change through one's actions. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and the influence of public figures, he asks what genuine accountability would look like for someone whose words have reached millions. More than a response to one individual, this sermon is an invitation to consider the responsibilities that accompany influence, the courage required for authentic transformation, and the Jewish belief that while forgiveness may be possible, it must be earned through meaningful action. This sermon was later adapted into an open letter published by the Tampa Bay Times.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Congregation Schaarai Zedek

  Understanding Israeli Perspectives with Yossi Klein Halevi

  Mar 12, 20261h 22m

  Welcome to the Schaarai Zedek Podcast, featuring sermons, teachings, conversations, and special programs from Congregation Schaarai Zedek in Tampa, Florida. This Episode: Understanding Israeli Perspectives Recorded live on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Congregation Schaarai Zedek. In this special joint program presented by Congregation Schaarai Zedek and the Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies, Rabbi Joel Simon and Dr. Matt Tapie lead a live conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and co-host of For Heaven’s Sake. Originally planned as a conversation about how dialogue around Israel has shifted since Oct. 7, 2023, the program also took on added urgency as Halevi joined remotely from Israel during the ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Together, the speakers explore Israeli perspectives on this moment, the meaning of Israel in Jewish life, the challenges of interfaith and communal dialogue, and what it means to hold difficult conversations with honesty, nuance, and shared purpose. This episode offers a thoughtful and timely discussion of Jewish peoplehood, moral complexity, and the ongoing work of understanding across difference.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Congregation Schaarai Zedek. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.