RJ Blog

by Marjorie Freeman My husband attended a Southern Baptist Church with his grandmother as a small child, and then a Methodist Church with his parents and with his first wife. We married, and the wise Reform rabbi who married us, Rabbi Robert Rothman of the Community Synagogue in Rye, NY, suggested that my new husband bring a brown-bag lunch and join him once a week to learn about my Jewish background so he would be able to understand me better. After a year or more, my husband felt that Judaism made more sense than the Christianity he grew up with, and converted. But [...]

by Rabbi Ira Youdavin My plane landed at Ben Gurion Airport last Wednesday evening, four days before I would be joining the Jewish Council for Public Affairs National Leadership Mission, and 72 hours before the first night of Hanukkah. The early arrival was different from my usual pattern. Normally, I speed from the airport to some meeting, with a quick meal, shower and sometimes a few hours of sleep squeezed in. On this trip, I wanted to spend some quality time with friends in Jerusalem and also in Tel Aviv, a city I visit only infrequently. That whirlwind would begin [...]

by Jordan Peck Make sure you are helping your partner get what they need. This was a simple yet powerful concept my fiancée and I learned while participating in the free ‘Inside interfaith Relationships’ workshop through Reform Jewish Outreach Boston. Emily is a self-described “C and E” (Christmas and Easter) Congregationalist Protestant, I grew up Conservative Jewish but starting in college I became a “Y, C, and P” Jew (Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Passover). Despite our different religious upbringings we fell in love and became inseparable quickly and only small things reminded us of our different upbringings. During the first three [...]

It’s an elusive idea, spirituality. Broad and deep, spirituality is as hard to define as is love or goodness, truth or beauty. Many people may not be interested in spirituality. But they are interested in meaningful relationships and community. Does that sound like you? Herein lies the beauty of how many of us understand what it means to be spiritual.

If you’re a fan of Top 40 music, you’ve probably had Fun.’s “Some Nights” stuck in your head at some point or another. This Hanukkah season, a cappella group StandFour has come up with a Jewish twist on this radio favorite and others. Check out “Eight Nights,” below, and leave a comment below letting us know what your favorite Hanukkah parody song is! Does this one rank among favorites like the Maccabeats “Candlelight” and Adam Sandler’s classic “Hanukkah Song”?

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 [...]

As a child, one of my favorite holiday songs was sung during Sukkot. “Apples are delicious, they are so nutritious, you don’t have to wash any dishes, sing a Sukkah song!” This complex arrangement was sung (and not very well) for the entirety of the holiday.

At the end of this month, another summer full of pool parties and outdoor barbecues will fade away as we enter the time of reflection. In the Jewish faith, we traditionally dedicate the 29 days in the month of Elul to studying and preparing for the coming High Holy Days. The time is supposed to challenge us to use each day as an opportunity for growth and discovery. For the past seven years, Jewish musician Craig Taubman and his group Craig & Co. have collected short stories, anecdotes, and introspections from some fascinating people, distributed in their daily Jewels of [...]

by Sharon Mann One of the pleasures of living in Israel is marking daily life according to the Jewish calendar; we chart our course through the year from Jewish holiday to Jewish holiday. When I moved to Israel, it was easy for me to forgo some of the holidays that I grew up with in America that I knew had a distinctly non-Jewish origin. It was also a pleasant surprise to discover other holidays here that unite Israelis across the spectrum – such as Tu B’Av, also known as the festival of love. Tu B’Av (the 15th of the month [...]