RJ Blog

In many ways, Judaism is a collective religion – one whose primary unit is not the individual, but rather the community. We need a minyan, a quorum of 10 people, before we pray. Many of our prayers are written in the first person plural “we,” rather than the singular “I.” Our narrative is one of the formation of a people – we are reminded every Passover to view ourselves as if we too were freed from slavery in Egypt. Yet most people’s experience with religion is not necessarily communal, but rather personal. For many, religion is about belief, about faith, [...]

by Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk In the recent election cycle, it was common for us to hear from those advocating their position on reproductive rights in national, state and local law. Some advocated that Roe vs. Wade should be struck down by the Supreme Court. Others suggested persuasively that a court’s definition of life is not nearly as important as what each of us learns from searching our own conscience. Ideally, as we in Reform Jewish congregational life approach this month’s 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, this would be a time for each of us to step back from the stigma [...]

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 [...]

One of the paramount values of Jewish tradition is the embrace of life. The rabbis read a verse in Torah that says, “You shall keep My laws and My rules, so that by doing them a person shall live,” (Leviticus 18:5) and conclude that the Torah and all the laws of our tradition are intended to promote life. It is only in rare and extreme circumstances that the rabbis say a person should put a life at risk to observe the laws of the Torah. That high regard for life, however, is put to the test when the tradition considers [...]

Well, it’s about time. After decades of diligent voting, my vote finally counts. According to recent New York Times article, “In Weak Economy, an Opening to Court Votes of Single Women” (August 7, 2012), pollsters and politicians have finally realized that us single gals are a force to be reckoned with. According to the article, single women are a growing population and constitute a quarter of the voting population. That voting power is even stronger in certain swing states. So now we are apparently being ‘courted’ – though I’m not exactly feeling the love. No one has sent me any [...]

As we were enjoying the long weekend at barbeques or on the beach, I’m sure that many of us also stopped to consider the sacrifices of our troops – both those who currently protect us across the world and those who have served in the armed forces throughout their lifetimes. There are many ways in which U.S. servicemen and women sacrifice, but most Americans are unaware that, beyond sacrificing their lives in the line of duty, servicewomen also sacrifice their own reproductive health in order to serve. The health insurance available to servicewomen differs significantly from every other health insurance [...]

by Rabbi Stephanie Kolin There’s a story told about East End Temple in New York City, the congregation in which I grew up. For 16 years, Rabbi Deborah Hirsch was my rabbi and rabbi to many families like mine. One day, a young boy I used to babysit, Matt, was walking with his mom; they were also members of East End Temple. They stopped for a moment on an NYC sidewalk to speak to a certain man. When the man walked away, she said to her son: “Matt, do you know who that was? That was the rabbi from Town [...]