RJ Blog

My name is Rachel Jurisz-Singh. Some of you know me by the name I use professionally – Jurisz – which is actually my maiden name. Yes, I am intermarried and my family is interracial too. Growing up I never thought I would choose to marry outside of my faith. I was always involved in my synagogue and youth group. I went to Jewish summer camp and attended Hebrew school through my senior year of high school. I even chose my career path in the Jewish field, working at four major Jewish organizations in the last 14 years.

by Julie Unger December is a tricky month for many interfaith couples and their families. It evokes nostalgic childhood memories and family traditions that are deeply rooted; so you’re bound to have a little conflict. To respect both sides and to minimize conflict, it’s important to discuss the December holiday plans and practices early on in your relationship. After about a year of dating, Matt and I decided that Thanksgiving would be spent with Matt’s family in Seattle, Washington, and Hanukkah/winter break would be spent with my folks in Safety Harbor, Florida. We seriously discussed this setup while we were [...]

by Marcia Frezza Like me, most of my fellow congregants at Congregation Beth Yam, located on a Barrier Island in southern South Carolina, came to Hilton Head Island for the beauty of the location; we later found a true home here with a very active Reform congregation and a wonderful community., Today, this 200-plus member congregation, has a new building and recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Just two and a half years ago, Beth Yam formed an Outreach Committee, making it the newest of our committees. Like most committees, it was formed when it became clear that there was a [...]

by Rabbi Elias Lieberman Like many congregations within the Reform Movement, our community of 310 households has many interfaith families. Some 65% of the children in our education program have a parent who is not a Jew. In every case, however, these interfaith couples have made a decision to raise their children as Jews and have turned to our synagogue to help them in that process. In the 22 years that I’ve been privileged to serve as rabbi of the Falmouth Jewish Congregation, I have witnessed firsthand a generation raised by interfaith parents come of age with strong Jewish identities. [...]

by Rabbi Evan Moffic An episode of The Simpsons inspired this article. The entire Simpson family is seated around the dinner table. Bart is asked to say grace. He offers the following words: “Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing.” Bart’s words capture what so many often feel. We’re entitled to what we have. We earned it. Why should we thank anyone for it? A consumerist culture reinforces this message. “Buy this product,” we are told, “because you need it. You deserve it.” As a parent, I think a lot about how to cultivate [...]

The Union for Reform Judaism is thrilled to announce the launch of three URJ Communities of Practice. Jewish tradition places great emphasis on learning and what it brings to both individuals and the community-at-large. With that in mind, the URJ’s soon-to-be launched Communities of Practice will provide opportunities for congregations with shared concerns and interests in a particular area to study and advance their current strategies. Through participation, congregations will be emboldened to experiment “at home,” pushing the boundaries of their previous efforts while receiving peer support and guidance along the way. Although most communities of practice will learn, experiment [...]

by Rabbi Michael Mellen “I am outraged,” cried Jewish Ethics after reports that some religious figures in the United States suggest girls should not receive the HPV vaccine. “Really, c’mon,” the notable Jewish leader exclaimed, “this is all about preserving life, caring for children, and stopping a killer when you have the opportunity.” “But what about the sexual implications?” cried out one attendee at a recent speaking engagement. “Sexual implications?” replied Jewish Ethics, perplexed for a moment by the connection. “Oh, you mean that getting the HPV vaccine implies that girls and women may have sexual relations outside of marriage?” [...]

by Nancy Bossov and Jennifer Magalnick Many schools must make policy decisions about the level of recognition of Halloween in their classes. It’s important to take a close look at the values inherent in the holiday to see if practices are consistent with our values and developmentally appropriate. Our Reform Jewish tradition guides us to make decisions based on “informed choice.” It is a healthy process through which many decisions in life may be made for the “right” reasons. These days, we are often caught up in the promotional rhythm of celebration and observance of secular holidays. Taking some time [...]

By Sari Luck Schneider The perpetual question of how to keep our children and their families in our congregation after bar/bat mitzvah should be looked at in a different way. Let’s ask instead, how can our temples’ early childhood programs become a gateway to a Jewish community experience that lasts a lifetime? The answer begins when a child is born, and the temple community reaches out to the family to congratulate them and welcome the new child. Ideally, temples should offer early childhood programs for babies with their caretakers, which can provide consistency in the outreach effort, and a chance [...]

I’ll never forget Sarah. Sarah was a young woman who sought me out for guidance and support during a very troubling time. She had had sexual intercourse for the first time. Not only was she devastated that afterward the guy revealed that he didn’t really like her as much as she liked him, but also she was nervous about being pregnant. They had had unprotected sex. As her rabbi, I held Sarah’s hand as she waited for the at-home pregnancy test to reveal its results. (Thankfully, it was negative.) As her rabbi, I counseled her about opening up to her [...]

by Rabbi Douglas Kohn My grandfather was looking at me through empty eyes. His scruffy mustache was unmoving; he was just staring. My dad was making simple, small talk, but grandpa was just staring. I couldn’t recall then – and I can’t recall now, 20 years later – when was the last time I’d had a meaningful conversation with him. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia does that to us: They can’t remember, while we remember the pains and losses. Our endeavors to address health and wellness issues in synagogues and Jewish institutional settings actually result from illness and being unwell. “Health [...]

by Rabbi Evan Moffic “At times,” wrote Hans Zinnsser “the dead are closer to us than the living, and the wisdom and affection of the past stretch blessing hands over our lives, projecting a guardian care out of the shadows and helping us over hard places.” Last month we were are reminded of this truth by an extraordinary man and tragic ending. This man, Donald Liu, was a pediatric surgeon at University of Chicago. In early August Dr. Liu was at a beach with his family in Berrien County on Lake Michigan when he saw two children fall out of [...]

by Kim Phillips Originally posted on November 10, 2010 at Kim’s Little Blog. My mother died, and she wasn’t Jewish.  I am, and sometime after I converted, it occurred to me to wonder, “Do I sit shiva if my mom passes away?” The word shiva comes from the Hebrew word for “seven” and refers to the week of intense mourning just after a loved-one passes away. because my mother wasn’t Jewish, sitting shiva didn’t really make sense. Judaism has some fairly precise customs for mourning a parent. Sit shiva for a week, limit your activities for 30 days (in Hebrew, [...]

by Linda K. Wertheimer My husband was working late, so my son and I had a thrown-together dinner of leftover pasta, yogurt, and carrots. I added one touch, store-bought challah, to give our table a semblance of Shabbat. The sight of the braided bread was enough to spark my 4-year-old son’s interest. “Is the temple open?” Simon said. “Yes, they’re having a service tonight,” I said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 6 p.m. The service on the schedule was at 6:15 p.m. “Is it a grown-up service?” Simon asked.