Welcome to Times Will Tell, the weekly podcast from The Times of Israel. This week, we’re speaking with three different rabbis of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform denominations, in Israel and the US, about their work as congregational spiritual leaders during this high holiday period that began with Rosh Hashana on Monday night.

The first rabbi to speak is Rabbi Seth Farber, an American-born rabbi living in Ra'anana, where he leads the Kehillat Netivot synagogue in his neighborhood. He talks about the logistics of running Rosh Hashana services this year, as well as some ideas from his sermon, including the destiny of the biblical Joseph who spent two years in isolation in an Egyptian prison, a formative period in his life.

Our second rabbi is Rabbi Aaron Brusso of Bet Torah Synagogue in Mount Kisco in New York. He is also grappling with the realities of coronavirus restrictions in his Conservative congregation, which has both strengthened his connection with his congregants of all ages, and limited their physical presence as well.

Rabbi Brusso speaks about his sermon topics, the state of everyone's empathy in this complicated time, followed by his second day open letter to the congregation's college students about Israel.

Finally, we hear from Rabbi Toby Manewith, a Hebrew Union College-ordained rabbi from Chicago, who will be leading services at a nearby old age home and assisted living facility.

Rabbi Manewith speaks about the particular issues confronting her aged congregation, and what they have handled over the last period. She tells one story she'll be relating on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, a folktale that will help people release their thoughts and concerns.

Throughout the podcast, we listen to Ishay Ribo's "Seder HaAvoda" piece, a haunting work based solely on the prayers and liturgical poems of the Yom Kippur service.

Times Will Tell podcasts are available for download on iTunes, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, PlayerFM or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Jewish men blow the shofar during the forgivness (Selichot) prayer at the Rashbi gravesite in Meron, Northern Israel, on September 9, 2017, prior to the upcoming Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Photo by David Cohen/Flash90)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.