Loyalty, Actually

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.