November 9, 2025
Dear friends:
A great light has gone out, and our world is now darker and colder.
I am heartbroken to have the responsibility to share the news that Rabbi Roy Walter, our beloved Emeritus Rabbi, died this morning with his cherished loved ones nearby.
Rabbi Walter served Congregation Emanu El and the wider Houston Jewish community continuously since he was ordained as a rabbi in 1970. During this remarkable span of 55 years of service, including his leadership as Senior Rabbi from 1978-2011, Rabbi Walter was beloved by innumerable people throughout the Jewish world whose lives he touched. He was a devoted student and teacher of Torah, an attentive and compassionate caregiver, and a lover of beauty and truth. His legendary impact on our community will never be forgotten.
We invite you to join us in remembering Rabbi Walter at a memorial service in the Barish Sanctuary at Congregation Emanu El at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 11. The service will be followed by a reception; all are invited to attend this gathering to share memories and condolences with each other and with Rabbi Walter’s family.
We also invite you to join us for Shabbat services at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 14, when we will have the opportunity to recite Kaddish for Rabbi Walter and remember him lovingly in our communal worship service.
If you wish to uphold the Jewish tradition of making a gift of tzedakah in the memory of a loved one who has died, we hope you will consider making a charitable donation in Rabbi Walter’s name to the Rabbi Roy & Linda Walter Enrichment Fund at Congregation Emanu El. A link to donate to the fund is available here so you can make your gift online.
Jewish tradition assures us that the memories of the righteous remain among us as an enduring blessing. I wholeheartedly believe that this is true. And I pray fervently that all of us who mourn Rabbi Roy Walter will, in our grief and in our memories, be granted the undying blessings of comfort, consolation, and hope.
With sympathy and love,
Rabbi Oren J. Hayon
