Welcome to Temple Emanu-El

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Dr. David M. Posner, Senior Rabbi

he synagogue is the sanctuary of Israel. It was born out of Israel’s longing for the living God. It has been to Israel throughout his endless wanderings a visible token of the presence of God in the midst of the people. It has shed a beauty that is the beauty of holiness and has ever stood on the high places as the champion of justice and brotherhood and peace. Its truths are true for all, its love is a love for all, its God is the God of all, even as was prophesied of old, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”


These words from the Union Prayer Book are a reflection of the place that the synagogue and the sanctuary hold in our lives, as well as in the history of our people. They remind us of the spiritual inheritance that has sustained us as the oldest, unbroken cultural and religious tradition in human history. We Jews have memories that span the millennia.

Simultaneously, we are, each of us, individuals of our age, with our own personal and spiritual destinies. For the congregants of Temple Emanu-El, our sanctuary has been the repository of these special chapters of life. Within its precincts, we have experienced the moments of our greatest joys and our most profound sorrows. We have sensed the smiles on the souls of our children as they stood on the bimah. We have rejoiced at the kisses of brides and grooms as they gazed into each other’s eyes under the chuppah. And the floor of the sanctuary is forever moistened by the tears of our bereavement. The sanctuary of Emanu-El always will be our storehouse of sacred memory.

May all who come after us forever use this sanctuary as the wellspring of inspiration that ultimately brings meaning to their lives and honor and glory to their heritage.

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On February 1, 2009, Rabbi David M. Posner met with Gilbert Kaplan, host of WNYC Radio’s “Mad About Music” to discuss his love of classical music. Read the transcript and listen to the radio program.

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