Aside from raising money, these sermons are also a rabbi’s chance to impart priorities and views to congregants with the maximum possible impact. That’s why the rabbis’ choices of topics and their treatment of them are crucial indicators of what issues are at the top of the American Jewish agenda.

It is possible for a rabbi to raise an issue without speaking in a manner that makes either the synagogue — or Judaism itself — part of a partisan debate. Skillful sermonizers know how to tiptoe right up to the brink of using their pulpits to advance a particular cause, candidate or political party without crossing over. And asking people to think about the implications of a divisive issue, without committing one’s institution to one side or the other, is entirely legitimate.

But in our hyperpartisan era — where neutral ground has become rare — it’s not easy to navigate issues relating to either foreign policy or social justice without picking sides in a manner that is bound to alienate some congregants. At a time when many synagogues are increasingly blurring the line between their activities and politics, rabbis must ponder just how far that they want to go in either venting their own opinions or pandering to the prejudices of their audiences.

In my view, many Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist synagogues have already crossed the line between religion and politics this year, through activism that clearly positioned them as part of the “resistance” against President Donald Trump. This has resulted in a so-called “Trump bump” that has reportedly boosted attendance at such synagogues, since they provide a forum for liberal Jews to vent their frustrations at the president.

An overwhelming majority of American Jews are liberals, and are likely to vote for Democrats. And a recent Yale University study of clergy affiliation showed that about 80 percent of Reform rabbis, 70 percent of Conservative rabbis and 40 percent of Orthodox rabbis are Democrats. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that you are more likely to hear a sermon that inveighs against Trump’s positions on immigration or some other issue if you belong to a non-Orthodox synagogue.

At the same time, increasing numbers of rabbis have complained about the perils of sermonizing about Israel. Some of those rabbis inclined to blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure of the peace process claim that angry congregants are stifling their desire to speak out, making Israel a no-go zone for some. Indeed, the notion of High Holiday pulpits being used for traditional advocacy on behalf of Israel is increasingly passé.

What all this means is that although rabbis are still viewed as opinion leaders, their sermons these days are likely to reflect the views of those they serve. In this context, the question of whether to discuss politics or Israel rather than purely religious questions on the High Holidays is also a reflection of the cultural milieu in which American Jews live.

The temptation to preach politics or to treat Israel as a third-rail issue may be irresistible. But perhaps the greatest problem facing our community is the one that relates to the routine delegitimization of political foes. The same applies to the way disagreement over Israel has led some Jews to either walk away from engagement with Israel, or to support the efforts of its foes to isolate or destroy it.

None of us can say what the Jewish calendar year 5778 holds in store for the US, American Jewry or Israel. But we do know that at a time when we seem to have lost the ability to listen to opposing views or to regard political differences as matters on which reasonable people can disagree, the need for rabbis to help heal rather than exacerbate our divisions is greater than ever.

Jonathan S. Tobin is opinion editor of JNS.org and a contributing writer for National Review. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.