The Beth El Podcast Network

Ben Kreshtol, the Ritual Director at Beth El Congregation, delivers an enlightening Shabbat sermon. He discusses the transformative power of speech in creation, particularly through Hebrew letters and their divine impact. Kreshtol highlights how prayer serves as a vehicle for blessing and cursing, rooted in Jewish tradition. He also emphasizes the importance of communal prayer, illustrating how individual voices contribute to the collective spiritual experience, much like the angel Sandalfon weaving prayers into divine crowns.

Send us a textIn case you missed it or wanted to share, Rabbi Dana Saroken's Shabbat sermon at Beth El Congregation in Baltimore. (June 28, 2025)

Send us a textIn case you missed it or wanted to share, Rabbi Steve Schwartz's Shabbat sermon at Beth El Congregation in Baltimore. (June 21, 2025)

Send us a textIn case you missed it or wanted to share, Rabbi Dana Saroken's Shabbat sermon at Beth El Congregation in Baltimore. (June 14, 2025)

Send us a textIn case you missed it or wanted to share, Rabbi Steve Schwartz's Shabbat sermon at Beth El Congregation in Baltimore. (June 7, 2025)

Send us a textAs the sun sets on Season 2, your favorite Havdalah crew wraps things up with a sweet twist—an Oreo cookie taste test! From classic to questionable flavors, we put our taste buds to work and maybe start a cookie controversy or two. We also reflect on highlights from the season, share some laughs (and crumbs), and close things out with our final Shonda of the Week.Thanks for being part of the ride—have a great summer, and we’ll see you in Season 3!

Send us a textIn case you missed it or wanted to share, Rabbi Steve Schwartz's Shabbat sermon at Beth El Congregation in Baltimore. (May 31, 2025)

Send us a textThis week on Havdalah Happy Hour, we share stories from an incredible 36 hours of non-stop graduation festivities, recap our school’s epic trip to New York City and we preview the upcoming holiday of Shavuot—a celebration of Torah, cheesecake, and staying up way past your bedtime. Available now on the Beth El Podcast Network—wherever you listen to podcasts.

Send us a textIn case you missed it or want to share, here is Rabbi Dana Saroken's Shabbat Sermon at Beth El Congreagation in Baltimore. (May 24, 2025)

Send us a textThis week, Rabbi Schwartz and Rabbi Saroken dive into Parshat Behar-Bechukotai as we continue in the Book of Leviticus. We begin with a fun peek into Rabbi Schwartz’s hat collection, setting the stage for a deeper conversation about the spiritual themes of the week. We reflect on the Torah’s powerful reminder of the need to rest and renew our souls through Shabbat. We also delve into the core belief that our actions truly matter — and that striving to do good can shape our lives and the world around us.