Simchat Yisrael

Mountain Top Experiences Dorothy Gitelman August 15, 2026 As we enter Elul, we're using this season of preparation to catch up on messages from the past few months, works we don't want anyone to miss before the High Holidays. What does it really take to meet God on the mountain? Moses climbed a mountain to meet God, and so did Abraham and the disciples. It wasn't quick and it wasn't easy. Dorothy shares what her summer trip through the Alps taught her about mountaintop moments in Scripture, and what it looks like to prepare our hearts as we enter Elul. For more information visit www.simchatyisrael.org

Liturgical Contexts and the Outpouring of the Spirit Rabbi Dr. Joshua Brumbach August 8, 2026 As we enter Elul, we're using this season of preparation to catch up on messages from the past few months, works we don't want anyone to miss before the High Holidays. Can the Holy Spirit really move in the middle of set liturgy, or only when things are unscripted? Rabbi Joshua takes on the idea that liturgy is dull and the Spirit only shows up in spontaneous worship. He walks through Solomon's temple dedication, Acts chapter 2, and Numbers 11 to show the Spirit moving right in the middle of structured, liturgical worship, and makes the case that what matters isn't the form of worship but the state of our hearts. For more information visit www.simchatyisrael.org

God's Spirit and His Kingdom Rabbi Dr. Joshua Brumbach August 1, 2026 As we enter Elul, we're using this season of preparation to catch up on messages from the past few months, works we don't want anyone to miss before the High Holidays. Did you know the Holy Spirit shows up all over the Tanakh, long before Acts chapter 2? Rabbi Joshua walks through example after example, from creation to Bezalel to Gideon to Ezekiel's dry bones, to show the spirit at work well before the New Testament. He then looks at what it means to be filled with the spirit today, and unpacks the difference between the fruit of the spirit and the gifts of the spirit and why both matter for the community. For more information visit www.simchatyisrael.org

The Whole Point of Devarim Tom Esposito July 18, 2026 As we enter Elul, we're using this season of preparation to catch up on messages from the past few months, works we don't want anyone to miss before the High Holidays. Are we so busy watching the wolf that we're missing the real story? Tom uses the three little pigs to make a point about Devarim: it's easy to get distracted by the danger in a story and miss what's actually being said underneath it. He walks through why God chose Israel, what it means that we've entered a renewed covenant through Yeshua, and the purpose we've been given to show God's character to the world. For more information visit www.simchatyisrael.org

40th Anniversary Celebration Stewart Weinisch July 11, 2026 As we enter Elul, we're using this season of preparation to catch up on messages from the past few months, works we don't want anyone to miss before the High Holidays. What does it actually look like to follow God fully for 45 years straight? This week is Simchat Yisrael's 40th anniversary celebration, and we welcomed back guest speaker Stewart Weinisch, the congregation's first leader, to bring the word. He takes us through the story of Caleb, the spy who trusted God's promise about the land and then waited decades to see it happen, and what it means to follow the Lord fully and be led by the spirit. For more information visit www.simchatyisrael.org