May 8, 2026
Each of us can recall significant moments in our lives. These moments might include becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, graduating, getting married, or the birth of a child or grandchild. Memorable moments may also be more traumatic: experiencing a severe illness, the death of a loved one, or a terrible accident.
In their book The Power of Moments, Chip Heath and Dan Heath explain that a defining moment is a short experience that is both meaningful and memorable. They describe the essential elements that make up these life‑defining moments. They include:
Elevation: Defining moments rise above the everyday and transcend the normal course of events; they are extraordinary.
Insight: Defining moments rewire our understanding of the world.
Pride: Defining moments capture us at our best—moments of achievement and moments of courage.
Connection: Defining moments are social. Weddings, graduations, vacations, work triumphs, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, speeches, and sporting events are strengthened because we share them with others.
Being a sports fan often comes with memorable moments. Whether your favorite team wins a championship or experiences a magical moment in the middle of a mundane season, certain occasions stand out. For fans who are unable to be in the ballpark to witness these moments, the way an announcer describes them often becomes part of the memory itself.
Earlier this week, John Sterling, the longtime voice of the New York Yankees, died at the age of 87. He began broadcasting Yankees games on the radio in 1989 and retired in 2024. At one point, he called 5,058 consecutive games, including the postseason. He broadcast eight World Series and described a Yankees championship‑winning out in five of them with his famous call: “Ball game over! World Series over! Yankees win, thuuuuh Yankees win!” (I know it is a bit sacrilegious to write about the Yankees in Ohio, but I am going to do it anyway.) Sterling called two perfect games—“He’s gonna get it…27 up, 27 down, baseball immortality…”—and who can forget his iconic home‑run calls: “It is high! It is far! It is… gone!” followed by a unique phrase for each player. “Bernie goes boom!” “A thrilla from Godzilla!” “Georgie juiced one.” “The Bam‑Tino.” “All rise! Here comes the Judge!”
As sports fans, we ride the waves of our teams, experiencing moments of thrilling excitement alongside moments of deep heartache. Often, it is the broadcaster who shapes the moment and tells the story in a way that deepens its impact. For me, as a longtime Yankees fan who listened to John Sterling’s deep baritone voice day after day, year after year, those memories stand out vividly. What stands out even more, however, are the memories shared by the people who knew him best. Suzyn Waldman, his longtime broadcast partner, shared that he did everything he ever wanted to do in life and that he was the kindest person you could ever meet. That is how one hopes to be remembered.
Sterling was Jewish, though he worked on the High Holy Days and rarely spoke publicly about religion. He was a devoted fan of Broadway and famously sang Fiddler on the Roof. He also played on a softball team called The Four Corners, referencing the tzitzit on the corners of a tallit.
As I read and reminisced this week about Sterling and the way he accompanied defining moments, I began thinking about the blessing of being a rabbi. This coming week marks the completion of my nineteenth year in the rabbinate. I have had the honor of being present for many of the most meaningful moments in people’s lives. I have stood with families as a loved one took their final breath. I have stood beneath the chuppah as couples began their lives together. I have sung siman tov as people took their first steps as Jews after conversion, and I have walked alongside people as they wandered the shadowed path of grief.
Among my favorite rabbinic moments are the personalized messages I share with young people at B’nai Mitzvah services. I do not know whether people remember every sermon or story, or whether our youth remember those messages, but my hope is that they help elevate the moment with insight, pride, and connection. Over the years, you have invited me, Rabbi Martin, Rabbi Huber, and other rabbis into your lives. We thank you for allowing us to walk through these moments with you.
As Chip Heath and Dan Heath remind us, “Moments matter!” Within the collective canvas of the standout moments of our lives, rabbis have opportunities to provide meaning, comfort, and wisdom. May we have the spiritual fortitude, soulful awareness, and profound wisdom to do so well.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner