Speaking to an Empty Shul

On March 11, 2020, due to the COVID outbreak, the “unprecedented” decision was made to shut down Jewish communal life in Bergen County. By relaying the weekly d’rashos (sermons) that were delivered in varying degrees of absentia to Congregation Ahavat Shalom in Teaneck, NJ, Rabbi Yehuda Halpert traces the adversity endured during the lockdown and details the spiritual triumph and resilience of a Jewish community as it experienced the pandemic.

“This sefer records Rabbi Halpert’s adherence to the great Jewish tradition of providing spiritual and halachic guidance in times of crisis. His exemplary leadership is vividly transmitted to us through the medium of his derashot, as delivered in real time, [which] allow us to relive and reflect upon the challenges of those years.”

Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion

“Historians need works like [this] compendium of sermons to contextualize how American Jews came to grips with the pandemic...This work will be a valuable source for scholars and of interest to readers of all religious backgrounds.”

Jeffrey S. Gurock Libby M. Klaperman Professor of Jewish History at Yeshiva University

“By publishing his d’rashos within their historical context, Rabbi Halpert has performed a great service to our community…His insightful perspective enables us to reflect and draw uplifting lessons from the COVID experience.”

Rabbi Kenneth Schiowitz President of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County during the COVID pandemic

Rabbi Yehuda Halpert currently serves as the rabbi of Congregation Ahavat Shalom in Teaneck, NJ, where he has functioned as its inaugural rabbi since 2008. Recipient of semichah (rabbinic ordination) from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, he is a practicing attorney and is Counsel in the New York office of Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP, where he is also a member of the Investment Management and Private Equity Group. Yehuda lives in Teaneck, NJ, with his wife and their four children.