Rabbi Dovid Katz is delivering the benediction at Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s State of the City address. Before I go on, I want to say good job to our leader. She came into office after the tumult of former Mayor Dixon and was greeted by the worst snow storm in anyone’s memory.
Several years ago, I had the honor of chairing a scholar-in-residence event at Congregation Tiferes Yisroel.
Our scholar that year was Rabbi Dovid Katz from nearby Hertzberg’s Shul. A noted scholar, an incredible historian, and an even better speaker, we all knew that this was going to be a great evening.
Then the one word that puts angst into the hearts or Baltimoreans more than the word “Steelers”  started blipping on the radar screen.
“Snow.”
It was forecasted for the weekend Rabbi Katz would speak. We had food ordered, chairs set up, the synagogue was spotless in anticipation of a nice crowd. Any accumulating snow, and we know that there is a track record here of staying inside.
The punch line? Rabbi Katz packed the place. We ran out of food. We ran out of seats.
His speech? Incredible.
When he finished speaking, I remember looking around. Nobody was leaving. They wanted him to speak longer, like an encore.
He came back the next morning and spoke to another packed social hall, doing what he does best, telling the story and history of our people and its place in the history of the world. It was compelling, we all learned.
Rabbi Katz grew up here in Baltimore City. He’s a teacher, a family man and a man who really knows and loves this city and community.
He’s one of my favorite people in this town. There are many who say the same things about him. His knowledge, it’s just unreal.
So after Sukkos last fall, he texted me.
Rav Dovid wrote to me that he had been attacked as he walked along Taney Road near Cross Country Elementary School. In a conversation, he told me that he was walking to shul for afternoon services. He was carrying a tray of food. A group of black teens started pelting him with stones. Some of those stones hit him on his hat.
He counted eight.
Did we mention that the Katz’s minivan was stolen and crashed on Friday night before this happened.?
This to a guy who chooses to live in this city and loves it.
So today, he gives the benediction of the Mayor’s State of the City Address.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s administration could not have picked a finer person to deliver the prayer.
With tensions evident after charges were pressed against two Jewish brothers for allegedly beating a black Northwestern High School student, perhaps the best person to reach out in prayer is a lifelong Baltimorean who was a victim himself.
Rav Dovid represents all that is good about this city. He is every man, of every religion, color and creed who chooses to believe in this great city.
If he can get up there and offer a prayer after what he experienced. Then the rest of us should stop in our tracks and reflect.
Baltimore is a great place. It is great for all of us. The overwhelming majority of people who choose to live in this city are in this together. We just want what’s best for our families and our neighbors. Those neighbors can be black, white, gentile or Jew, it just doesn’t matter. We are all Baltimoreans.
May the words today of Rabbi Dovid Katz bring to us together in a spirit of healing and unification.

Rabbi Katz is the greatest secret in town (and out) - fortunately (and unfortunately for those of us who prefer to keep him to ourselves) he is becoming much more well-known. You won’t find a greater source of knowledge (both secular and Torah) and humor.

I second everything you wrote and then some!!!!