Open Search form

Yisrael Motzen

Apply for a Blog

Apr 8, 2026, 3:48 AM

Making Aliyah, Going to the Moon

The timing of the first moonwalk could not have been better. It was 1969, patriotism was at an all-time low; the Vietnam War was raging, the bombing of Cambodia was underway, the anti-establishment movement was at full force. And...

Apr 7, 2026, 6:22 PM

Kol Dodi Dofek Revisited

Forty-two years ago, there was a family in Bnei Brak. They were a loving family with many children, all of them doing well, except for one child, Avrami. Avrami was struggling. At home, in school, with his friends and...

Nov 12, 2025, 8:07 PM

I’m not Haredi, I don’t want to be Haredi, but yes, I can learn from them

Haredi children in Jerusalem. (David Vaaknin/ Flash90)

I could write about the flaws I see in Haredi society or I can tell you what I admire about the world that is not my own, and help improve my world too

Sep 14, 2025, 4:55 PM

When Virtue Signaling is a Good Thing

Years ago, Susan*, a remarkable woman who had certain physical disabilities would occasionally attend our shul. Every time she came, she would complain to me about all the things in our shul that were insensitive to people with disabilities....

Jun 22, 2025, 10:42 PM

A Letter to God During these Times

Dear G-d, Even though I don’t always feel it, I know You could hear me. This is not just a belief; I know with every fiber of my existence that right now, You are entirely focused on the Jewish People....

Mar 23, 2025, 9:42 PM

The Holiness and Stability of a Dining Room Table

There was a time, not that long ago, when I think many of us felt like world history was finally trending in the right direction. Maybe it was immediately after the beepers went off, maybe it was after Iran...

Feb 23, 2025, 6:14 AM

What Kfir and Ariel Represent

For the past year and a half, I have been wondering to myself, what is it about Kfir and Ariel Bibas that triggers such a strong reaction? Why is it that the entire Jewish nation held out, believing against all...

Dec 26, 2024, 9:54 PM

Remembering One Fallen Soldier at a Time

What does it mean to remember? This is a question every one of us have been grappling with since October 7th. The challenge is more acute for those of us living outside of Israel. We are not attending funerals of...

Oct 13, 2024, 4:48 PM

Time to Make Aliyah

This was delivered as a sermon at Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue, Baltimore, MD, before Yizkor on Yom Kippur. I could not believe it; they were taking pictures of us. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of taking a...

Oct 6, 2024, 1:25 PM

The World of (Unanswered) Prayer

The post below was delivered as a sermon at Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue of Baltimore, MD, on the second day of Rosh Hashana. On this sacred morning, I want to share with you one of the deepest Kabbalistic secrets...

Load more

About Me

Yisrael Motzen, a native of Montreal, Canada, serves as rabbi of Ner Tamid Greenspring Valley Synagogue in Baltimore, MD. Rabbi Motzen is a graduate of Ner Israel Rabbinical College and holds an M.A. in Clinical Community Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.