Reform Judaism

Learning from youth
October 10, 2008

By Gardening Grandma
A story in this morning's New York Times about the growing army of "eco-kids" not only grabbed my attention, it made me proud: "Pint-Size Eco-Police, Making Parents Proud and Sometimes Crazy" highlights how children are teaching their parents a lesson or two about caring for this earth, sometimes to the frustration of their parents.

While Judaism was not mentioned in the story, nothing could be closer to our hearts than protecting the earth and working to repair the damage we've created. As today's emailed Ten Minutes of Torah by Rabbi Marla Feldman notes, "to neglect our role in maintaining the fragile balance of nature is to default on our very first commitment in our covenant with God - our sacred duty to be stewards of God's Creation." She goes on to note that Sukkot is a perfect time to reinforce our connection to the natural world around us.

For more ideas about what to do this Sukkot, check out www.urj.org.

Filed Under: Ethics | Holidays | Social Action

Prostration II
October 10, 2008 (2 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky
(First published on The Reform Shuckle)
I've posted about prostration before.

Some of the more chazanishly demanding parts of the Yom Kipur liturgy at Chavurat Lamdeinu were tackled this year by one of our members, a guy named Steve. Steve grew up in the Conservative movement and later studied super-amazing-loud-operatic chazanut in a yeshiva. He later served for many years as a chazan at a conservative synagogue here in New Jersey.

Of course, I know that during a particular Aleinu on Yom Kipur, we're supposed to prostrate ourselves. But after years of a Reform synagogue on Austin, HUC in Jerusalem, and, last year, a Reform synagogue in New Brunswick, I've never seen it done. read MORE

Filed Under: Holidays | Religious Life

Seeking Israel Travel Advice
October 10, 2008 (3 Comments)

By Larry Kaufman
My wife Barbara and I are beginning to plan our fifth trip to Israel, and are already discussing what we want to do and see this time. Our first trip, more than thirty years ago, was a three-week group tour, which covered the major tourist sites/sights quite well. Our subsequent visits, the most recent two years ago, have allowed us to fill in many of the touristic holes. So the question is, what should be on our itinerary, either because Israel has changed so much over these three and a half decades, or because it's relatively new, or it's so far off the beaten path that we may have missed it previously, or it just hasn't made its way into the general travel canon?

Filed Under: Israel

A Forgotten Man
October 10, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Larry Kaufman
Raise your hand if you can identify Maurice Samuel.

Maybe a little prompt will help. Choose the right identifier from the list below:

American author of a novel about the Borgias
Radio partner of Mark Van Doren in discussing the Hebrew Bible
Translator of Erika Mann from the German
Translator of Edmond Fleg from the French
Translator of Sholem Asch and I.J. Singer from the Yiddish
Executive of the Zionist Organization of America
Polemicist/critic of Arnold Toynbee's A Study of History

Actually this fascinating personality was all of the above - author of six novels and twenty works of non-fiction, translator into English of 22 books from the French, German, Hebrew and Yiddish, popular lecturer, investigative journalist, aide to Henry Morgenthau Sr. in his investigation of Polish pogroms, aide to Chaim Weizmann in the writing of his autobiography. You can learn more about him in an article written eleven years ago by Louis Kaplan to commemorate Maurice Samuel's 25th yahrtzeit.

Filed Under: Community

An easy fast?
October 8, 2008 (4 Comments)

By Gardening Grandma
As Yom Kippur approaches, many people have wished me an "easy fast."

I find it very strange - and disconcerting.

The fast is meant to force us to do some deep and not-so-easy reflection and self-examination. It's meant to push us beyond our normal comfort zone. Why then, should it be easy?

I think I'll stick with G'mar Chatima Tova when I'm at temple tonight. And so, to you, the readers of this blog, "may you be sealed in the book of life."

Filed Under: Community | Holidays

Top Priority or Empty Promise?
October 8, 2008

By Jeff Oakley
(First posted on the RACBlog)
Jeff Oakley is an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Last week, Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin stated that "a two-state solution is the solution... and that will be [a] top of an agenda item, also, under a McCain-Palin administration." Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden stated, for his part, that "no one in the United States Senate has been a better friend to Israel than Joe Biden" and that Obama will bring "thoughtful, real, live diplomacy that understands that you must back Israel in letting them negotiate, support their negotiation, and stand with them."

Filed Under: Israel

Authentic Judaism
October 7, 2008 (2 Comments)

By dcc
In the most recent New Voices, Josh Nathan-Kazis interviews Rabbi Rick Jacobs of Westchester Reform Temple about the threat of Chabad to the Reform Movement. The interview, Rabbi Jacobs's answers and even the questions are worth reading. However I completely dismiss the premiss of this article:

"Chabad constitutes a challenge to the Reform movement. When Chabad's rabbis come to town, the local Reform synagogue faces the risk of appearing less authentic than the competition."

Filed Under: Community | Religious Life

Reflecting on 5768: A Victorious Year in Disability Rights
October 7, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Rabbi Lynne Landsberg
(First posted on the RACblog)
Rabbi Lynne Landsberg is the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism's Senior Advisor on Disability Issues. She is a former Associate Director of the RAC and a former regional director of the URJ's Mid-Atlantic Council.

In 1999, I sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury when my Jeep skidded on a patch of black ice and wrapped around a tree. When I awoke from a six-week coma, I was unable to remember how to live. Through years of intensive rehabilitation, I re-learned how to walk, talk, concentrate, read and perform daily activities. Now, I walk with a cane, speak slowly and require assistance with minor tasks.

Filed Under: Holidays | Social Action

Olmert lets it all out
October 6, 2008 (1 Comment)

By Hanan Cidor, KESHER Shaliach
First published in It's an Israel Thing
In a very unordinary interview with, who I guess you could say is not a very ordinary man, resigning Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made some relatively dramatic proclamations regarding his view of Israel's future in the coming years. Olmert basically stated in his otherwise dull traditional holiday interview that it is his belief that Israel will eventually have to let go of most if not all of what is regarded as the "occupied territories" of Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in order to achieve true and lasting peace with the Palestinians, Syrians and basically the entire Arab world. Obviously enough, the importance of that statement lies in its speaker rather than in the content. Olmert's announcement marks the very first of its kind coming from the highest Israeli executive. Although of somewhat lesser practical importance because of it being his last few weeks in power, still, it is bound to set some sort of precedent for future deliberations with Israel's neighbors and more importantly, with in Israeli society.

Filed Under: Israel