RJ Blog

Jews young and old are searching for innovative and contemporary ways to explore their heritage. Reform congregations have been experimenting with different liturgical melodies for years, and urban minyanim experiences like the Riverway Project in Boston are fostering new and dynamic worship and learning experiences. WAREHOUSE ATX, March 15th at the South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, TX, is an alternative Shabbat experience using music and new media produced by ROI Community member Josh Nelson in partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism. The Warehouse seeks to reengage young Jews by hosting Shabbat events in unconventional spaces.

by Anna Marx Jewish and Christian bloggers have been actively discussing the new show on TLC, “The Sisterhood,” where one family announced they are planning a “Christian bar mitzvah” for their son. While the Jewish world is wrestling with bringing the bar mitzvah ceremony into the 21st Century (some would say it takes a revolution!), the Lewis family is planning a “Christian bar mitzvah” for their son, Trevor. Pastor Brian, Trevor’s father, was raised Jewish and converted to Christianity. The Lewis family sees the bar mitzvah as an opportunity to embrace their Jewish heritage — at least with a big party, [...]

Like many in the “broader Maryland” area, I watched and celebrated the Ravens’ Super Bowl victory this past weekend. I ate my requisite snacks, groaned at some commercials, and kvelled at Beyonce’s “throw-back” performance. For many, though, the Super Bowl is not the happy family occasion we might imagine – and I’m not just talking about disgruntled 49ers fans. For many years now, there has been a lot of discussion over the Super Bowl and domestic violence, and whether or not – as has been suggested by some journalists – there are higher rates of abuse amidst all of the [...]

by Rabbi Andy Bachman “This series of pictures should strike a deep emotional response in the heart of every Jew.  No matter how far we have traveled from the observances that were practiced by our fathers, we have a feeling of reverence for the ceremonies themselves, and a respect for those who feel that these Jewish ceremonials constitute a necessary part of religion.” [From the English translation of Dr. Leopold Stein's Oppenheim Pictures, originally published in Frankfort, Germany in 1886] As Richard Cohen has pointed out, in Jewish Icons, Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, one of mid-nineteenth century German Jewry’s most famous [...]

by Galit Roichman On Thursdays between 2:00-5:00pm, I can be found in world repair. It’s less strange than it sounds. Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), in addition to being a key idea in Jewish discourse, is the name of a service-learning program that offers Jewish young adults from around the world an in-depth experience of Israeli society. During the course of five or 10 months, these young adults live in south Tel Aviv and in Jaffa, and engage in volunteering and study that offers them a better understanding of the reality of life in this corner of the Middle East. [...]

I read Herman Wouk’s new novel about Moses in a single sitting, a tribute both to his skill as a storyteller and the absence of any need to give much thought to the substance of the tale. I guess that, deep in his nineties, Wouk is entitled to the privilege of self-indulgence, but certainly The Lawgiver tells us much more about Wouk than it does about Moses, its purported protagonist. Ingeniously constructed as an assemblage of letters, emails, Skype transcripts, and diary entries as Wouk, who makes himself a leading character in his novel, juxtaposes his role as a consultant [...]

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 Rabbi Donald Kunstadt Debating what movie to watch Saturday night, I was glad we did not follow A. O. Scott’s review in the New York Times of Life of Pi. IMBD rated it quite highly, so we went with that opinion. I am certainly thankful we went with the latter. Having studied religion at Berkeley, I found the entire movie a delight of open-minded religious synergism that I only wish was shared by more people in the world. Unfortunately it is not, and what is more, world opinion seems to be only intensifying in the opposite direction, toward greater [...]

by David Stanley and Rabbi Mark Goldfarb What image comes to mind when you hear the name Tim Tebow? Heisman trophy winner, maybe? Second-rate back-up quarterback for the New York Jets? Most likely, you get the mental image of someone on one knee, a la The Thinker, which has become Tebow’s signature “thank-you, Jesus” pose. The now-trademarked and widely aped posture is known as Tebowing. It’s fall, and we’ve just passed World Series time. What happens every time a player from the mainly Catholic Caribbean comes to the plate? He makes the sign of the cross. Fall also means soccer. [...]

by Rabbi Adam Grossman “Bond, James Bond.” Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the film series this past October, this famous introduction – expressed in the initial film, Dr. No, and uttered in every movie since – personifies pure confidence and sophistication. This leads the fictional character to be calm, cool, and collected no matter the circumstance or pressure he faces. While Bond’s self-assurance is intoxicating, what many fail to realize is that behind 007’s poise, success and adaptability sits the fictitious Q – the head of research and development for the British secret service. The character Q helps to ensure [...]

by David Leichman and Rabbi Miri Gold A dream became a reality when the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) received an invitation to participate in Qualifier 1 for the 2013 World Baseball Classic in Jupiter, FL. The World Baseball Classic is sponsored by Major League Baseball (MLB) and takes place every four years. The next Classic is set for March 2013 in Phoenix. MLB made the decision to add four teams to the twelve, including Team USA, which was already qualified from four years ago. The MLB “Heritage Rule” states that players have to be either a citizen of the [...]

by David Stanley I race bicycles. I started in 1979. I got pretty good, fast enough to earn my way to category II status, just below the pool from which USA Cycling draws the National and Olympic teams. Along the way, I competed against some truly world-class racers and became friends with a few of them. During my career, as all top athletes do, I had a momentary brush with performance enhancing drugs (I wrote about my encounters with them here). As I aged out of elite racing, I marveled, along with the rest of the sporting world, at Lance [...]

This week’s New York Times story “With Tattoos, Young Israelis Bear Holocaust” has raised a lot of eyebrows amongst American Jews. The email I got from a friend alerting me to it called the trend “tasteless”; friends who responded all agreed. For my part, I didn’t say a word – mostly because I couldn’t figure out how I felt. A few days later, I still can’t. But let’s back up. The story begins, When Eli Sagir showed her grandfather, Yosef Diamant, the new tattoo on her left forearm, he bent his head to kiss it. Mr. Diamant had the same [...]

Forty-seven years ago to the Jewish-week, Sandy Koufax made the now famous choice to attend Yom Kippur services rather than to pitch in the World Series. It is thus both fitting and ironic that the initial incarnation of a competitive Israeli baseball squad, fielded by a majority of Jewish-Americans, plays its first official game in the World Baseball Classic in the week between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. With Star of David ballcaps replacing the traditional kippot, the Israeli National Baseball Team donned white and blue in front of an adoring and mostly Jewish crowd in Jupiter, Florida. Despite defeating [...]