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BOOKS & MUSIC The Torah: A Women's Commentary (URJ Press)

Union for Reform Judaism

The Joy of Peri Smilow February 4, 2010 by JanetheWriter Although I can't carry much of a tune, I certainly do enjoy listening to them. The ones I click to most often on my iPod are those on the "Jewish" playlist - everything from Beth Schafer, David Broza and Julie Silver to Debbie Friedman, Kol B'Seder and the liturgical songs on the Union's Biennial CDs. If I'm not listening to Jewish music, sometimes I'm writing about it. You can read some of my muscial musings here and here and here. Over the weekend, I received a copy of Blessings, Peri Smilow's new CD and, needless to say, I've listened to it a few times since then. With its beautiful music, lyrics and sentiments dancing in my head, I've decided that Nachshon ben Aminadav, the title character from One Small Step on the Freedom Music Project CD has to take a back seat at least for now (sorry, Nachshon) to Joy, my new favorite offering on the Blessings CD. Of course the lyrics alone can't begin to do justice to Peri's rich, clear voice or the deep, smooth piano that accompanies it, but here they are nonetheless: read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Haiti and the Outcry February 4, 2010 by Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting Temple Sinai, Sarasota, Fl. In the first chapters of Sefer Shemot, Moses has his first encounter with God. "I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes I am mindful of their sufferings..." And yet, it has been many years that the outcry from the Israelites could be heard, and we might ask why it took God so long. It is suggested in some of the sources that Egypt was herself given a chance to respond to the slaves' plight. With Joseph as a role model, Egypt could have lifted herself to the higher emotional level and allowed the power empathy to guide her, rather a baser instinct which worships power and cruelty. But having given the chance and failed, Egypt will suffer the wrath of a just and caring God. When we hear the outcry of others, is it God who is speaking to us as well as those who are suffering? I had the pleasure of enjoying a midyear break with a week of vacation in Paris in the beginning of January. On my last night there, I took a friend to a restaurant not far from the Paris Opera, and I spent an evening of superior food and fine wine. When I left, it had begun to snow and I hailed a cab which left me just a few blocks from my place. As I walked through the snow flurry I noticed a police vehicle which had stopped ahead by the side of the street. Police and medical personnel exited the vehicle to check a group of homeless people who were huddled in the small accumulation of snow against the adjacent office building. A medic checked to see whether they would make it through the night, and offered cups of coffee to them. A sense of shame came over me. I had just spent more money on one meal than many of these people would see in a year. In this beautiful and wealthy city, how could this happen? I realize also that this scene is repeated in cities of my own country many times a day. I returned to this country as the news of the earthquake in Haiti was being reported. Haiti is a nation that has suffered for two centuries with poverty, hunger, violence and natural disasters, a period of time similar to that during which the Israelites suffered under Egyptian bondage. And I guess the question that is nagging me this evening is this: is this a test for us? As with Egypt, is the outcry from Haiti, God's cry to us? If that is the case, we should respond to that outcry with the empathy that God demands of us. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

My Name is Sharon February 3, 2010 by Sharon Palay Member and Lay Leader of Bet Shalom Congregation, Minnetonka, MN February is Jewish Disabilities Awareness Month. We will be featuring blog posts about disability inclusion in Jewish communities. Also visit the RACBlog for posts on this topic. My name is Sharon. I have Cerebral Palsy. I grew up in a small town in North Dakota. My mom would take me to synagogue. I remember snuggling up close to her side, sitting amongst the stained glass windows, listening as she sang the prayers and I would sing along, too. Never thinking where I would be today on my spiritual journey.     I joined Bet Shalom Congregation nine years ago and love it every minute. I even had my Bat Mitzvah which was a big milestone in my life. Here it's going on the 5th anniversary. When I think about it and how much work went in it, it just blows my mind!  But I did it and I'm so very proud!  read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Jewish Disability Awareness Month: True Challenges, True Opportunities February 1, 2010 (1 Comment) by Shelly Christensen This February marks the second annual Jewish Disability Awareness Month. Our mission is to unite Jewish communities and organizations for the purpose of raising awareness and supporting meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities and their families in every aspect of Jewish life. The websites of both the Union for Reform Judaism and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism feature Jewish Disability Awareness Month pages that can serve as a resource to individuals and congregations and provide a forum for discussion on issues of inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish life. Also this month, on RJ.org and the RACblog, you will hear from people who have disabilities who have traveled those difficult roads and made it in to become valued members of congregations. You will hear from a bat mitzvah who found inclusion woven in her Torah portion and from someone who has adapted teaching to meet the challenging needs of learners. We'll also provide some food for thought as you go through Jewish Disability Awareness Month so that you leave February with plans for the other 11 months of the year. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Social Action

Is God in Haiti? January 29, 2010 (1 Comment) by Rabbi Jeffrey Kurtz-Lendner Rabbi Kurtz-Lendner is the rabbi of Temple Solel of Hollywood, FL. During Hurricane Katrina he was the rabbi of Northshore Jewish Congregation in Mandeville, LA, just outside of New Orleans. In the following reflection, Rabbi Kurtz-Lendner beautifully weaves together his experience during Hurricane Katrina, the Torah reading from last week ("Bo") and the crisis in Haiti, capturing what so many are feeling in the wake of the devastation. There are always natural disasters in the world.  But sometimes there is such a disaster so devastating that it touches our souls.  Our information laden world with instantaneous transmission of human events has immunized us so often to the tragedies that are part of the human condition.  But there are events that are so devastating that our desensitization is penetrated and we feel the impact of these events. And at these times we ask ourselves, Where is God? The Asian Tsunami was one such event. Hurricane Katrina affected us because of the devastation of one of our own American cities and so many of us knew people or knew of people who experienced it. And there were those of us who DID experience it. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Social Action | Torah

I Almost Made Myself Cry at the Bar Mitzvah January 25, 2010 by Rabbi Paul Kipnes Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA (Originally posted on Or Am I?) There we stood, Rabbi and three generations of the Tillis family, preparing to physically pass down the Torah midor lador (from generation to generation). This primarily Reform Movement tradition makes manifest what is happening in fact and deed: that another young adult is receiving Torah from his ancestors. At the end of this line of stood a young man Jared, who though he spent his life challenged by special needs and multiple treatments - a rare form of non-convulsive epilepsy, speech therapy, vision therapy, challenges reading and decoding - now stood ready to do what every other 13 year old boy does. Jared was becoming a Bar Mitzvah.  I looked out at the crowd of family and friends. On their faces I saw utter amazement; reflected in their eyes was the wonder that this young man, in spite of all the challenges he faces, had led the prayer service so beautifully. His Bar Mitzvah teacher, the incomparably talented Diane Townsend, had been by his side, pointing to each transliterated syllable so that he could chant the prayers at his own pace. Too see how creatively she had retransliterated each word in a way that it would be comprehensible to this specific Bar Mitzvah boy is to witness a master teacher at work. Yes, we had already each experienced that Shehecheyanu moment, that blessed happening that reminds us all that we were just touched by the miraculous.  read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle | Youth and Family Life

Intertwined January 22, 2010 (1 Comment) by Leon Adato (Originally posted to The Edible Torah) A few months ago a friend of mine - someone who travels a lot for work - sent me this message from his blackberry as he waited to board a flight: "Dawn is breaking. A young man a few rows down, nondescript except for a small, almost hidden, Kippah  just wrapped Tefillin and began his morning prayers. He covers his head with his Tallit. Oblivious to the physical world he is immersed in a different place. He takes 3 steps back, sways and moves forward again as he silently recites the Amidah. Surprisingly few people stare. Maybe he really is in a different place. Really beautiful." What takes my breath away even more than the wording (which was elegant and eloquent) was how this anonymous davening stranger captured my friend's attention and imagination, which in turn caught mine. Even more, that this stranger did it without meaning to and in fact to this day may not realize that he did. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

My Foray into Independent Minyan Land January 12, 2010 (5 Comments) by Larry Kaufman (Also posted at Larrykaufman's Weblog) Having been reading on JTA and in the Jewish blogosphere about the independent minyan phenomenon, I decided it was time to see for myself what it was all about, so I played hooky from my usual Shabbat community, the Kahal at Beth Emet, and ventured into this brave new world.  For the benefit of late-comers, an independent minyan is a self-created worship group that operates outside the framework of the institutional synagogue.  Much of what I experienced was what I expected - but this is at least in part because what we get out of a worship experience is so closely tied to what we bring into it.  Short summary:  the keva (liturgical content) differed in detail from that of my Kahal but not substance; the kavana (intention) and the vibe seemed the same. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Trifles are not Trivial January 8, 2010 (1 Comment) by Michelle November and Paul Kipnes (Originally posted on Or Am I?) Five years ago, at the request of our children's paternal grandparents Papa and Lala, we took our 20%-off coupons to Bed, Bath and Beyond and purchased seven trifle bowls. At the time, we didn't even know what a trifle was. But Papa and Lala were insistent that this dessert would be the biggest hit of all at our daughter's Bat Mitzvah oneg (sweets) table. And they were right who could resist the eye-catching dessert, comprised of layers of cake, pudding, brickle (heath bar crunch), and whipped cream or the same with fruit. The clear glass bowls which showcased the delectible desserts survived two moves and months being lost in the far corners of the garage. Still, they made their appearance at the Bar/Bat mitzvah celebrations of each of our three children over five years. More significantly, the lasting power of these treats were that they were homemade for these special occasions by grandparents who reside on the other side of the country. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Youth and Family Life

Food Trends vs. Food Culture December 30, 2009 (3 Comments) by dcc Chow, a magazine of Food, Drink and Fun, published a list of major food trends that were taking place in 1999 and those that are taking place today. Granted I was not such an independent foodie at the time: I never really dug Asian fusion, but I did have my fair share of sushi and drank plenty of Starbucks. While I still enjoy my sushi, I find myself engulfed in many of the hottest trends that are all the rage as we end the year - from the butchering bandwagon to the pie. But like all trends, they come and go. Food culture on the other hand takes generations to create and dedicated communities to foster. Looking to other, older societies like France, China, Italy or Argentina we see events that are focused on food grown, prepared and consumed in a particular way. That doesn't really happen in the United States all that often.  Due to our "melting pot" status, celebrations are often influenced more by the "home" culture of a particular family than that of this country. This goes for food too. Even quintessential "American Food" tends to be hotdogs or hamburger (which are really German) or Pizza (also from Italy) or even some Nachos (bastardized Mexican food) - in short we don't really have something to call our own. However, I would also posit that another trend, not covered by Chow, is the painfully slow adoption of an American food culture.  read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Finding God in a Stranger's Question December 28, 2009 (2 Comments) by Art Grand There are questions that are so profound that they change our lives forever. And there are times when we hear a total stranger asking the same questions, and we realize that God is present - in our shared humanity and in our struggle to find answers. That's what happened to me this week. For days, the people on iWorship have been discussing how to revitalize worship and how to attract young adults to our congregations. Someone got to the core question: How can we pray together as a community when we've never discussed our understandings of God? How can we say "Blessed are You" or "who sanctified us by Your commandments" when we've never discussed what those words mean? How can we come together when we've never discussed how God wants us to treat each other? For me, reading the posting was one of those wonderful moments when I realized that we're not alone. All of us are asking the same questions. We're part of a community of communities and part of an ancient people, all struggling to find answers. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Blessing December 8, 2009 (7 Comments) by Leon Adato (Originally published on The Edible Torah) It was not your typical Shabbat candle blessing moment at our house. Usually, people group more or less by age around the table - teens bunched together whispering and laughing, younger kids up near the candles and challah hoping for a chance to light, pass, tear, or hold during the blessings, parents on the periphery shmoozing and watching out that their kids behave. But on this particular night, families were huddled together, hugging. More than a few folks were (or had been) crying. What was different? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat | Youth and Family Life

Social Action Down Under December 3, 2009  by Naomi Abelson URJ Social Action Specialist For the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to meet with Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ) rabbis, congregational presidents, board members, youth and social action committees in Australia and New Zealand to discuss congregational social activism and Nothing But Nets. And what an incredible experience it has been -- both personally and professionally! Through presentations, meetings and workshops, UPJ leadership learned about tools and resources available to help their congregation articulate and implement social action goals. During these gatherings, I shared the incredible work being done by URJ congregations in North America: Fain Award-winning projects, Just Congregations community organizing campaigns, RAC L'Taken seminars and Mitzvah Corps experiences. In addition, I had the pleasure of speaking about Nothing But Nets, our campaign to combat the spread of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa by providing $10 bed nets to families living in refugee camps along the border of Sudan. UPJ congregations have been involved in Nothing But Nets since 2008 -- and it shows! From sanctuary displays to bar and bat mitzvah projects, from young adult trivia night benefits to challah bake fundraisers, it is clear that UPJ is well on its way to reaching its goal to raise $50,000 for Nothing But Nets. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Social Action

Food, Ethical Food! November 30, 2009 by Rachel Cohen Legislative Assistant, RAC (Originally published on The Jew and the Carrot) As Jews, we have always cared about the food that we eat. Some of us choose to embrace traditional notions of kashrut - and many of us do not - but we can all agree that our food, and how we get it, plays an important part in our lives. That's why Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, opened one section of his 2009 Biennial Shabbat sermon with these words: "Jewish history begins with a Jew - a new Jew, the first Jew - saying to others: come, eat with me. And ever since this first Jewish meal, Jews have believed that eating matters." These words have never been truer than they are for us today. Our Jewish values - caring for our neighbors, being good stewards of our earth and its resources, valuing our family and our community - all point to the need to think critically about the way we eat. read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

Our Redhead Looks at Colleges: Tears, Smiles and a Blessing November 24, 2009 (1 Comment) by Rabbi Paul Kipnes (originally posted at Or Am I?) It all started with Consecration.  In celebration of the beginning of their formal Jewish education, these cute kindergartners ascend to the bimah to stand before the aron kodesh (holy ark) to receive a mini-Torah from the hands of their parents. Nervousness surrounds us as children wonder where to stand, as parents step forward unsure of how to guide them.  Still, smiles mingle with tears as we watch our babies continue to grow up. And we bless, shehecheyanu, thanking God for getting us to this special day.  Then we stand again on the bimah as the child, now thirteen, becomes a Bat or Bar Mitzvah.  Having spent years learning about Judaism and practicing Hebrew, she now leads the service, chants from Torah, and gets to stand before parents, relatives and friends who sit quietly and attentively as she expounds eloquently on some lesson derived from Torah. Nervousness surrounds us as the teens, so worried about what others will think, now are anxious about whether they will mess up the words or the tune. Some will now call them "men" or "women" but we know better. They are just taking the first steps on the road toward being an adult.  Still we pass down Torah midor lador, from generation to generation, hoping that their shoulders are now broad enough to carry on the burden (and joy) of our tradition and values.   Smiles mingle with tears as we realize our children are no longer babies. And we bless, shehecheyanu, thanking God for getting us to this special day.  read MORE Filed Under: College Life | Jewish Living | Lifecycle | Youth and Family Life

Rituals for Thanksgiving November 19, 2009 by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (Originally published in Ima on (and off) the Bima) It's hard to believe that the holiday of Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Just one more week! Thanksgiving is such a wonderful American holiday. It's simple - say thank you for the blessings in life and share a meal with those you love. But often, the meal takes over, stress of family and needing a "picture perfect" celebration cause a little fraying at the edges. Creating an atmosphere of gratitude can be tricky when you're just trying to keep your 3-year-old from pulling the tablecloth off the table, don't you think? I have created 3 different Thanksgiving services, based loosely on the idea of the Passover seder. After all, one good holiday centered around the table deserves another, doesn't it? read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living | Youth and Family Life

Biennial Photo Contest: Congratulations to the Winners! November 18, 2009 (8 Comments) Our contest yielded some fantastic entries: photos that truly captured the spirit and excitement of the Biennial and the beautiful city of Toronto.  After sorting through over 400 entries, our web team and staff from URJ Books & Music voted... and here are the winners! A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated and shared their images. Grand prize: Steve Medwin wins a Flip digital camcorder for "Torah Service" Second prize: W Zimmerman wins a signed copy of Tina Wasserman's new cookbook Entree to Judaism for his entry, "Kippah Collage" Runners-up: Joy Weinberg. Ros Schwartz, Emily Goodstein, Kate Bigam, and Emilia Diamant will also receive prizes. See their photos and the slideshow of all entries below... read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Beyond Pita & Falafel: Sustainable Eating in Israel November 17, 2009 (1 Comment) Miriam Farber is currently living in Jerusalem and studying in the Year Program at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. She is an alumna of Eisner Camp and NFTY. To read more about Miriam's time in Israel, visit her blog at http://tovahhaaretz.blogspot.com. (Originally posted at RACblog) A few months before I left to spend this year studying in Jerusalem at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies, I brainstormed a list of all the things I was looking forward to enjoying once I arrived in Israel...most of which was food. Falafel, shwarma, shoko b'sakit (chocolate milk in a bag), chocolate bars filled with pop rocks, the fruits and vegetables of Machane Yehuda, Jerusalem's open-air market. So much of what I love about Israel is connected to its foods. In the almost three months since I've been living in Jerusalem, the ways I connect to Eretz Yisrael through eating its food have moved beyond junk food and street food, to incorporating my Jewish social justice values in the way I cook and eat in Israel, through a CSA share (community-supported agriculture) and the Tav Chevrati.   read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living | Social Action

Tragedy at Ft Hood and its Aftermath: A First-Person Account November 13, 2009 (1 Comment) We thank Sylvia, a Reform Jewish lay leader and physician/psychiatrist at Ft. Hood, for sharing this letter with RJ.org and our readers. Dear family and friends, Most of you by now have heard that though I work at Ft Hood, I am fine and I thought I would send you an update as I have not had much time to write to you. I am still fine though a little tired after a day of being on call at the hospital for 11 hours. I think it helps that I have only been at Ft Hood a short time. I do know Major Hasan, as his office was not too far from mine and we often crossed paths. I think I am mostly sad, not only for the people shot and their families, but for Major Hasan as well. I am not sure he meant to survive, and now his life will be forever marked by this one horrific deed. It will be so difficult to remember the good he has done, his need for understanding and gentleness.  I think each and everyone of us, given the correct circumstance, could kill others as we each pray that we will never find ourselves in that place. Many of my colleagues are furious, others still numb, some keep themselves so busy they have no time to think - but it will eventually catch up with them. Ironically, I was in a hospital classroom that was so interior we never heard the alarms on post -- and we were learning PMDB (prevention and management of disruptive behavior). We had reached the part of the class to manage combative people (without weapons thank you - if weapon, RUN!!) which used to be called "take down" but was referred to as "we no longer call it a take down"  and it has been renamed "therapuetic containment". We were startled when people suddenly showed up telling us we had to hurry up and finish or end the class. They removed the removable walls and told us there had been a disaster code for mascal (mass casualties). As things unfolded, those with access to a TV knew more than we did.   read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Rabbi Yoffie on the Forward 50 November 12, 2009 (2 Comments) Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, recently made it into the Forward 50, The Jewish Daily Forward's list "of the men and women who are leading the American Jewish community into the 21st century." About Rabbi Yoffie, the Forward says: Rabbi Eric Yoffie is no stranger to boos. But that's because the president of the Union for Reform Judaism isn't content with preaching to the choir. A decade ago, Yoffie was booed briefly when he argued for "legal guarantees" for gay couples in an address at the Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. In October, Yoffie garnered a few more boos, this time from Jewish doves at J Street's national conference as he assailed the U.N. inquiry into the Gaza conflict. "Richard Goldstone should be ashamed of himself," Yoffie said to the audible disagreement of some of the assembled. (Yoffie knew he would be facing a tough crowd; writing in the Forward 10 months before, he had labeled "morally deficient" and "appallingly naïve" a J Street statement criticizing Israel's military campaign in Gaza.) But Yoffie also directed his fire at targets more agreeable to his audience, criticizing Jewish groups that "have their heads in the sand" when it comes to recognizing the urgency of achieving a two-state solution. Whether scolding doves or hawks or skewering Israeli leaders or American Jewry's machers, the 62-year-old Yoffie doesn't pull his punches. In the process, he has given voice to an American-Jewish middle that is simultaneously critical of the West Bank settlement movement and fiercely protective of Israel. Others on the list include familiar names: Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America (formerly United Jewish Communities), and Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the U.S., both spoke at the URJ's 70th Biennial Convention last week (live blog and video here!), and David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to President Obama, was a keynote speaker at the RAC's Consultation on Conscience in April (video here!). As the Forward notes, Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of J Street, dialogued with Rabbi Yoffie at J Street's first national conference in late October, and Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service, is a close friend and colleague of the RAC's Rabbi David Saperstein - they spearheaded a fast for Darfur together earlier this year. And Sarah Lefton, founder and producer of G-dcast.com, coordinated Rabbi Saperstein's animated narration of Shoftim in August! There are plenty of other recognizable names and a lot of up-and-coming ones on the Forward 50. What do you think of the selections? Who else would you have included? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Reflections on a Very Green Biennial November 12, 2009 (2 Comments) by Isaac Nuell Conference Planner, RAC Wow - it's hard to believe Biennial is already over! After all the planning, conference calls, and traveling, we spent an incredible weekend singing, praying, learning and growing with more than 3,000 other leaders of the Reform Movement. There were so many things we will remember from Biennial - the incredible plenary speakers, the Friday night song session, the challenges and innovative ideas about using technology to build community, ethical eating, and more. And, of course, all the work that went into making 2009 our the greenest, most sustainable Biennial yet! Here are just a few of the green highlights: Green minutes - Peter Weidhorn, Chairman of the URJ Board of Trustees, put on his 'green hat' at the end of each plenary session (well, not exactly a hat, but there was green stage lighting!) to talk about our greening Biennial work and highlight ways for congregations to get involved; Launching Traveling Justly and the new URJ Environmental Sustainability Fund - The RAC used our booth to boost our new Sustainability Fund, which allows congregants and congregations to go carbon neutral by contributing to Kibbutz Lotan, Native Energy, and other clean energy development projects. The fund is also connects to our new Traveling Justly online resource with information about how to tread lightly - on people and the planet - whenever you travel; Cutting our carbon footprint - URJ staff and volunteers did our best to reduce paper use by printing double sided and shrinking the Biennial Program Book by 1/3 from its 2007 length. We also recycled more than ever (thanks to the amazing bins put out by the Metro Toronto Convention Centre) and were more efficient in our energy use in the Convention Centre and our hotels; Green-themed learning sessions with URJ, WRJ, and NFTY - Together, we taught and learned about greening our synagogues and how to be effective environmental advocates with our youth and other affiliates of the movement. All of these learning sessions included take-home greening tips for congregants and congregations, and many of them are available online. Even in this tough economy, we're finding great ways to save green as we help our Movement go green by using less, conserving more, and raising awareness! Still, so much work remains to be done, and as Rabbi Tarfon teaches, while it might not be our job to complete the work, neither are we free to desist from it! We've got some big ideas in the works and we want to hear about yours as well! Help Reform Judaism go green and be sure to check out our Greening Reform Judaism, Traveling Justly, and Greening Biennial resource pages to learn more! read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Where's the Beef? Not in the URJ's New Ethical Eating Initiative November 12, 2009 Barbara Lerman-Golomb is the Director of Education and Outreach for Hazon and an author, environmental activist and experiential educator. This post originally appeared at The Jew and the Carrot.  In his Shabbat morning sermon to 3,500+ members of Reform congregations at the  URJ's 70th Biennial Convention in Toronto, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), launched the Green Table, Just Table - Shulhan Yarok, Schulhan Tzedek initiative calling for a commitment to ethical, ecological eating, including consuming 20% less red meat, encouraging more communal eating and a discourse on a Reform kashrut - a Reform approach to Jewish dietary practice. It was a moment I eagerly welcomed after first sitting down with Rabbi Yoffie more than six months ago to share with him the growing resources and diverse ways to connect to what Hazon has coined the new Jewish food movement, and to discuss the interplay between contemporary issues and ancient traditions-how our food choices impact not only our health, but the health of our planet. The press has mostly picked up on the meat issue. There are 900 URJ congregations in North America. A significant reduction of meat intake by members of the Reform movement, as well as eating more local, organically grown food, will not only help these congregants live healthier, it will lessen the movement's collective carbon footprint. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Faith Line Challenge at the URJ Biennial November 12, 2009 This post is reprinted with permission from Heebonics, a division of The Canadian Jewish News (CJN). It was the first time in 30 years the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial was held here in Toronto, and Heebonics, as well as The CJN, was there. On Thursday, November 5th, one of the keynote speakers of the evening was founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, Dr. Eboo Patel. The focus of his address was on what he considered to be the challenge of the 21st century. Race wars and the colour line the racial segregation that existed predominantly in the United States after the abolishment of slavery, having been the main fault line challenge of the 20th century, is the issue of the faith line today. "Definitions are everything," he said. What we learned from the colour line is that it separated those who would live together as brothers; the faith line separates pluralism from extremism. Patel called for a greater use of proper language labels when condeming an individual or group for one's act of aggression against another, those rationalized and motivated by what the aggressor would claim is a religiously taught imperative. We must align them solely to the collective of extremists, dangerous to all denominations of life who strive for their way to dominate while everyone else's religious way of life suffocates.   read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Honoring Harold Grinspoon & Jewish Camping November 11, 2009 (1 Comment) If you or your children have ever attended one of the Union for Reform Judaism's 12 camps (13 this summer, with the opening of 6 Points Sports Academy!), you probably owe a debt of gratitude to philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur Harold Grinspoon, whose support for Jewish education has had a profound impact on countless Jews. Last week, the URJ awarded Harold the 2009 Alexander M. Schindler Award for Service to World Jewry for his dedication to Jewish camping. The annual award, named for the second President of the URJ, honors an individual who has shown passion, leadership and commitment in relation to world Jewry. Since 2004, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation has provided more than $20 million in services and matching grants to help make camping a central part of Jewish life. Another program, administered by the Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy, provides expert counseling services that aid in the development of professional and lay camp leaders. By funding technology initiatives, he has also made it possible for the URJ to increase contact and participation with camp alumni in development programs. The following video of our "Celebration of Jewish Camping" features an introduction of Harold and his phenomenal accomplishments and generosity, along with remarks from him about the importance of Jewish camping. Keep watching for our tribute to Jewish camping and all it's done for Jews across North America. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Youth and Family Life

Dr. Ruth's Sex Ed Homework to Biennial Attendees November 11, 2009 by Kate Bigam Press Secretary, RAC At her Shabbat study luncheon at last week URJ Biennial in Toronto, noted sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer closed by telling attendees, "Now I want all of you in relationships - don't pick up someone in the hallway, I'm very old-fashioned - to go to your hotel rooms tonight and try a new position. And call me up afterwards." In New Voices magazine's analysis of the Biennial, addressing, specifically, why our most unusual suspects (Tony Blair and Dr. Ruth) were our most effective speakers, blogger Carly Silver writes: Dr. Ruth Westheimer is a Jewish celebrity of the infamous kind, one whom it is sort of embarrassing to acknowledge. Her explicitness and candid interviews are funny, revealing, and applicable to the topic with which she deals, but why would the URJ want a sex therapist to speak? The answer simply lies in the fact that she is a wonderful representative for Judaism today. An empowered woman in her own right, Westheimer is a "Holocaust survivor and ex-Haganah fighter," one who has survived the travails of anti-Semitism and emerged stronger. She created her own brand, carved out her own unique niche in society, and advocates sexual equality, a view that is reminiscent of the often-liberal view that the URJ holds. RAC staffer Sean Thibault caught up with Dr. Ruth at the Biennial for a quick chat about sex, sexuality, & the Jewish tradition. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Rabbi Yoffie's Shabbat Sermon November 7, 2009 (28 Comments) Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, gave his Shabbat morning sermon today at the URJ's 70th Biennial Convention in Toronto. Read the full text below. His sermon launched two Biennial initiatives: Just Table, Green Table: Rabbi Yoffie calls for a commitment to ethical eating, asking synagogue leaders to "carefully, thoughtfully, Jewishly" formulate new eating guidelines for their communities. Embracing Technology:  Reform Judaism's opportunity to engage with communities and help congregations relate to members in the online space has reached a tipping point. At the Biennial in Toronto, Rabbi Yoffie urged the Reform Movement to create congregational blogs and experiment with a range of creative technological approaches to strengthen community ties and help build community. read MORE Filed Under: By Rabbi Eric Yoffie | Community | Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Celebrating Women & Recapturing the Commitment of Men November 7, 2009 (3 Comments) On Thursday, Women of Reform Judaism's Executive Director Shelley Lindauer, addressed WRJ's 47th assembly attendees. Below is an excerpt from this address. "During the past two years, as our nation, our non-profit organizations, and most of us personally have faced enormous difficulties, WRJ has still been able to count its blessings and successes: We had record breaking attendance at the Sisterhood Leadership Conference in New Orleans in January; We gave 30 scholarships to sisterhoods to send representatives to the Sisterhood Leadership Conference, and another 18 for women to attend this assembly; The Torah: A Women's Commentary has sold nearly 23,000 copies and is now on its third printing; We now have a monthly study guide for one parasha of the commentary and hope to complete study guides for all parashiot within the next 12-18 months; We debuted and started quarterly publication of the WRJ e-newsletter; Our new weekly email communication, Strategies for Success, has proven to be a great resource for our sisterhoods; We now have 15 affiliated WRJ-Israel sisterhoods; At this assembly we're introducing two new programs: Social Action Rings and Israel Twinning; and we have funded significant programs around the world, including a $25,000 grant to ARZA for the Mifgash program. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

A Day at Biennial: Highlights in Food & Camping November 6, 2009 Tina D. Wasserman, a member of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, is the author of the new URJ Press book, Entrée to Judaism, and a contributor to Reform Judaism magazine. Yesterday was an extremely exciting and exhausting day. About 190 people attended my cooking presentation, and the audience had a lot of questions. I enjoyed helping them recreate memories and helped it along by having a big pot of hot chicken soup sitting by the water stand for them to smell as they came in. We didn't discuss chicken soup per se, but many questions about Bubbe's recipes were directed to me. Seems like many Hungarian grandma's didn't write down their recipes or teach them to their children! Note to myself: Need to learn more about Hungarian cuisine, even if one reader says my recipes are right on the mark for her Hungarian father!   Right after my talk, I had a book signing at the URJ Books and Music store, and people were lined up for quite a distance. But I wrote fast, listened to stories, gratefully accepted positive feedback from the attendees and grinned a great deal. Two camping administrators from Newman and Harlam who have known my daughter and my family for 12 years were watching me and patting themselves and pointing at me with grins on their faces and saying,"We knew her when." What they really knew was my challah and rugelach that I always sent to camp straight out of the oven and FedEx overnight! read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Judaism Through Music November 6, 2009 Greg Kellner is a URJ Biennial Music Assistant and the Assistant Director at URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps. In just a short while, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Hall F will be transformed from a mundane space to something holy. For most of the Biennial, I have been tucked in the rehearsal room listening to rehearsals for song session, worship experiences and concerts. I've watched talented artists transform workshops and move our attendees. Yesterday we were blessed by the presence of Ma'ariv services led by Debbie Friedman, along with Rabbi Dan Freelander and Peter and Ellen Allard. I was blown away this morning by the talent of five amazing teenagers from the Teen T'fillah Team from Temple Israel of West Bloomfield, MI. I've worked with many groups of teens putting together ensembles, but when these five teens opened their mouths, I was speechless. I listened in awe of not only their talent, but their clear love for Judaism and Jewish music. While certainly the aural experience for the congregation will be amazing, more importantly I can tell that these teens are transformed by the experience of being a part of something so special. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Youth and Family Life

Bridging the Divide: You'll Never Know 'Til You Try November 5, 2009 (7 Comments) Daphne Price is the executive assistant and adviser to Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. This afternoon, at the URJ Biennial Convention, I had the honor and pleasure to hear from Dr. Michael Meyer of Hebrew Union College.  Dr. Meyer lectured on the topic of "American Orthodoxy."  The description of the session read, "We shall discuss the history of Jewish Orthodoxy in the United States, the various shapes it assumes at present, its principles, its inner conflicts, and the direction in which it is moving.  We shall then ask: Is there a common ground on which we, as Reform Jews, can build a relationship with our Orthodox brothers and sisters?"    Dr. Meyer described the growth of Orthodox Judaism in the United States - what Orthodoxy looked like in the early years, its "mushroom" Jews, the arrival of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik in the United States and his lasting influence as the founder of Modern Orthodoxy.  He lectured on Charedi Jews and what it means to be an ultra-Orthodox Jew.  He used Chabad as the most popular example, and spoke of the lasting impact of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, who shaped the Chabad Movement when he was alive, and according to some, even more after his passing.  He described Rabbi Norman Lamm's contribution to the Jewish community as the chancellor of Yeshiva University.  In each case, Dr. Meyer described with vivid examples the great disparity and lack of cohesiveness within the Jewish community, placing Orthodoxy on the one side, and Conservative and Reform Judaism on the other. It felt like the disparity, as he described it, created a huge, unbridgeable chasm between the Reform and Orthodox worlds.  read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Social Action

Thoughts on Next Dor: Synagogue 3000 November 5, 2009 (4 Comments) Rabbi Elyse Frishman is the spiritual leader of The Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. She is the editor of Mishkan T'filah, A Reform Siddur. Next Dor: Synagogue 3000 is a forum with Larry Hoffman, Ron Wolfson, Jessica Zimmerman, Esther Lederman, Jim Green, Michelle Citrin and Josh Nelson A summary: Next "Dor", the next generation. We are neglecting our 25-40 years olds, many of whom live in cities. It's possible that twenty years could elapse from the time a college graduate has a child eligible for religious school: twenty years of absence from the synagogue, twenty years of being a "homeless" Jew. As daunting as the challenge appears, dare we not attend to this missing generation? Our generation has had its opportunity to create our Jewish world. The next generation has its music, its art, its culture, its voice: are we listening? Next Dor urges us to hire a professional whose work is not to missionize the synagogue, but to build relationships with these Jews, one by one -- a liberal Chabad per se. Meeting these young Jews where they live, physically and metaphorically, and listening to what they deem to be meaningful and compelling will help us to reshape what we offer. If we care, we'll listen -- really listen -- and respond. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

What's Cooking at the Biennial November 4, 2009 (6 Comments) Tina D. Wasserman, a member of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, is the author of the new URJ Press book, Entrée to Judaism, and a contributor to Reform Judaism magazine. Today was my first day at the Biennial, although yesterday began the Biennial adventure! After sitting on the plane for two hours and waiting to see what the airline was going to do, I was transferred to another plane, another terminal and another seat. This could have been an ordeal, but almost a third of the half-empty plane were people heading to the Biennial from all over Texas and Oklahoma. It was more like a caucus. I walked up and down the aisles talking to fellow congregants, new acquaintances from Tulsa, and my friend's daughter-in-law who is her sisterhood's President in Austin! I couldn't believe that the two hours flew by so quickly. However, after 8 hours of traveling I was tired and went to my hotel room at the Fairmont Royal York. But here is where my adventure began. You know those commercials that imply that no request is too small or too big to stop a good hotel from fulfilling it? Well, at 11 PM while waiting for my husband to arrive in Toronto, I spoke to the manager of room service, John Smith, and asked him for permission to go into his catering kitchen and make chocolate truffle mixture and couscous for my cooking demonstration on Thursday. I explained that we were premiering my new cookbook, Entrée to Judaism, published by the URJ Press and I had done most of the cooking in Dallas and schlepped frozen chicken soup, Dulce de manzana and challah and cookies in my suitcase for the demo but couldn't prepare those additional items in advance. Marty, the chef and John not only helped me get set up but they gave me all the storage containers so I could transport the food to the demo. An incredible kitchen! There were soup pots that were bigger than a car, and water baths to cool down sauces that were 15 foot long sinks. A fun experience and a wonderful opportunity to get to know some Toronto citizens close up. Canadian hospitality at it's finest! read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Identity - It's Complicated November 4, 2009 (1 Comment) Wendy Grinberg is an Adult Learning Specialist with the Union for Reform Judaism Jewish tradition teaches us that the way you know if a person has really repented is if they are faced with the same situation and don't engage in the old behavior. I guess I was given a chance to test out what I learned at the symposium on Jewish identity, because I had another encounter with the customs and immigration officer:   "You were here for business? Where do you work?" "At the Union for Reform Judaism." "Huh?!?" "At the Union for Reform Judaism." "What's Judaism?" "It's a religion." (Reflecting on why I gave this answer-- I think I thought it would be the easiest for a person to understand. Should I have said, "An ethnicity"? "A people"? "A culture"?) "Why are you trying to reform it?" (Who is this guy?! Let this be a warning-- brush up on your answers to these tough questions!) "Oh, well, we're always changing. It's a branch of the religion." "Is it like Muslims? Is it from the Middle East?" "Sort of. A little different. We read the Bible, just not the New Testament." "What's wrong with the new part?" "Well, it kind of started a new religion." "I want my kids to know about how the world is, so I read them the Bible. I tell them there were two trees in the garden, and Adam and Eve ate from one...[insert long rambling "midrash" on Adam and Eve, human nature, and the reasons for good and evil in the world]." "OK! Yes, I see what you're saying about human nature." "I like to learn about this stuff!" "Have a nice day!" read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

URJ Books and Music: A Grand Opening in Toronto November 4, 2009 (1 Comment) Michael Goldberg is Editor in Chief of URJ Books and Music I couldn't be happier with today's grand opening of the URJ Books and Music Store. The turnout exceeded all expectations, as did the performances from Dan Nichols, Julie Silver, and Doug Cotler, and the ruach of the crowd, who sang along with such joy and spirit, even before the Biennial officially started.  If this is a preview of things to come, this should be an amazing Biennial. Steve Brodsky, administrative director of Sounds Write Productions, served as emcee, and introduced Dan, Julie, and Doug, as well as Rabbi Yoffie, who reminded us that "producing books for our Sabbath schools" was one of the original missions of the Union when it was founded in 1873.  One hundred thirty-six years, dozens of textbooks, Torah commentaries, children's books, CDs, and so much more later, we've come a long way from those modest beginnings. Rabbi Yoffie then cut the ribbon to officially open the store.  After a beautiful "Shehecheyanu," we opened for business.  (Well, actually, we already had a pretty good crowd inside, but why question a nice moment?)  What a terrific start to our time in Toronto. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Enter the Biennial Photo Contest! November 4, 2009 For those of you who are attending the Biennial in Toronto this week, keep your eyes open and your cameras on hand. We're looking for images of those moments that illustrate the spirit of Biennial: warmth of community and prayer at a worship service, the lively camaraderie of a luncheon, the joy of music and dance... the opportunities abound. Enter our photo contest for a chance to win the grand prize, a Flip digital camcorder, and other great runner-up prizes (to be announced). Instructions for entering with a Flickr account can be found here, or stop by the Internet Cafe to upload your images using our online form. The Union's web staff will judge the entries and select winners based on creativity and originality. All entries must have been taken at the 2009 Union for Reform Judaism Biennial in Toronto, and the entry deadline is Thursday, November 12th at 5pm ET. Winners will be announced on Monday, November 16th. All submissions will appear here on RJ.org and the Biennial website, and may be used on all of the URJ websites in the future. So start taking pictures...we can't wait to see the Biennial through your eyes!  read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

iDENTITY, Technology and the Next Generation November 4, 2009 (1 Comment) Melissa Simon is a student at HUC-JIR in NY and serving as an intern for the Symposium on Jewish Identity. One of the really thought-provoking aspects of the morning's Symposium on Jewish Identity was a discussion of technology and Jewish identity called iDENTITY, with Dr. Dan Mendelsohn Aviv, Dr. David Bryfman and Scott Hertz facilitated by Rabbi Karen Thomashow. Each of the panelists spoke passionately about Jewish identity and technology. One idea that I found particularly interesting was the idea of putting out information - event details and important messaging, for example - using multiple modes of communication, including email, Twitter, Facebook, and on the front page of websites. There isn't just one mode that everyone utilizes, nor is there one mode that works best for everyone. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

From Identity to Identification November 4, 2009 Wendy Grinberg is an Adult Learning Specialist with the Union for Reform Judaism. Today at the Symposium on Jewish Identity, Ari Kelman told us "The battle for identity is over." In his research of young adult Jews, the vast majority of them say they are proud to be Jews. The term identity refers to how the individual sees him or herself. Ari encouraged us to move towards thinking about identification, that is, a process by which individuals act out what they think and feel, through institutions, interactions and intersections of culture. His challenge to us was that while these Jews express a high identity, they express a low identification. Meaning, the problem isn't with the demand, but with the supply. The question I plan to put to the group tomorrow is: What would our organizations and learning opportunities look like if we explicitly put the values of pluralism, individualization, innovation and empowerment at the core? read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

From the Studio... November 3, 2009 (2 Comments) Greg Kellner is a URJ Biennial Music Assistant and the Assistant Director at URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps Away from the learning sessions, registration area, and all of the other action at Biennial, Shabbat has already begun. I am joined by esteemed musicians from across North America, who have rehearsed for months to come together for just a couple of days to create a worship experience unlike any other in the world. The sounds of Kabbalat fill the rehearsal room, accompanied by a truckload of instruments and gear... more like a good Jewish version of my favorite Greenwich Village musical establishments than a rehearsal room. If you held your ear up to the rehearsal room door right now you'd be able to hear Josh Nelson and Beth Schafer jamming through L'cha Dodi. Cantor Michael Smolash, who will lead us in Friday night prayer, is also here after a quick drive from his home of Temple Israel in Michigan. While you may have seen Beth Schafer on guitar most of the time, she will be breaking out the sitar for Friday night... I believe a first for Biennial. I guess Jewish music can come from as far away as India. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

What Does Your Favorite Jewish T-shirt Say? November 2, 2009 (5 Comments) Rabbi Laura Novak Winer is a Youth Specialist for the Union for Reform Judaism. What does your favorite Jewish T-shirt say? That is part of the conversation tonight at the Symposium on Jewish Identity. A couple years ago I purchased a t-shirt at Urban Outfitters that has an image of a challah on it and says "holla." It intrigued me that a mainstream, hip and edgy clothing store would sell such a t-shirt. I continuously ponder the spelling of "holla." Is it a blending of hip-hop culture with one of our most well-known (and one of my favorite) ritual foods? Like Matisyahu, Orthodox hip-hop artist whose lyrics about faith, inspired by Psalms, have made mainstream radio. Does this make me a "holla-back girl"? read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

The Circus is Coming to Town November 2, 2009 Dawn Bernstein is the cantorial soloist at Temple Kol Ami in Thornhill, Ontario. She blogs at Dawn Ponders; this post is reprinted with permission. They are about to descend upon my city - 3,000 or so of North America's finest, and certainly most committed, progressive Jews are coming to my hometown this week in order to engage in the Union for Reform Judaism's Biennial conference. It has been 30 years since the Union has brought its sideshow north of the border, and we Canucks have been anxiously awaiting and planning for the return engagement. For the neophyte amongst you, allow me to explain why this is such a big deal in my world. Every other year, the Union brings its travelling medicine show, complete with member rabbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, the finest that Jewish music has to offer, and the best of the best in the Reform movement, to a city heavy with anticipation to discuss, converse, study, pray and generally examine the health of progressive Judaism in North America and around the world. The study sessions engage in everything from fundraising possibilities for member congregations, to music workshops, to board training, to political activism, to t'fillah engagement, to outreach programs, and so on and so on and so on. It is a chance for us in the "biz" to recharge our batteries, reconnect with colleagues, re-engage with our chosen work and re-energize our professions. It is a chance for lay members to learn anew, bring fresh ideas back into their congregations and to just understand that others find themselves in similar situations as do they. In short, it is a major undertaking, and the fact that all of these Jews will be descending upon the Great White North this week is fairly significant. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Living with Intention Takes More Than 140 Characters October 29, 2009 (1 Comment) by dcc I like to use Twitter. I tweet about what is going in my life, a funny joke, some political ranting and even about dumplings. But Twitter often is a bit over whelming and has some serious limitations. Outside of the brevity of the commentary, tweeting often leaves me feeling somewhat removed from what it is that I am either tweeting about or reading about via Twitter. It creates a disconnect between what is actually happening and figuring out how to truncate the story into short 140 character descriptions. Recently I have been reading and hearing more about trying to live intentionally. Rabbi Josh Strom of New York discussed the difficulty of living "in the right now" during his Yom Kippur sermon: It was a blistering hot afternoon in Manchester, Tennessee, the final day of the 8th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The What Stage ... featured Grammy-winning soul and R&B artist Erykah Badu....Towards the end of her set, she spoke to the tens of thousands gathered on that Tennessee farmland. She looked out at the crowd and said, "Let's just be here right now. No thinking about the past, no thinking bout the future. Just here. Just now." And she concluded with the words, "I'm so glad to be with you, right here, right now." read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

The Need for Connection September 16, 2009 (2 Comments) by dcc Modern Art is often hard to connect to inspiration. From the multimillion dollar canvases of a single color to more infamous works that cause somewhat regressive public figures to over-react, art can often be lost upon the consumer of the work. Yet in many cases art for the sake of making a person think--even if the person misses the point--is a good thing Jewish art is all too often stale beyond recognition. Stymied by cut glass or needle point ritual items these pieces which pass as art hardly make the consumer think nor do they push the envelope to the point of confusion.  The same "artistic" interpretations of horrendously ugly and tasteless items on display in the country's Jewish museums could easy have been for sale in gift shops in many of our congregations in the late 1960s. But it has a clear connection to its ritual and purpose. However, The Jewish Museum in New York has found artists and pieces that can make you think, push you past your comfort zone and help reinvent the ritual items that are interpreted in the pieces on display in the new exhibition that opened this week. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

A Rosh Hashanah Miracle September 15, 2009 (4 Comments) by Art Grand Years ago, there was a young man in our congregation who had a terrible accident. He had extensive brain damage, and it was weeks before we know whether he would ever regain consciousness. He went through months of grueling therapy in the hope that someday he would fully recover. Every few weeks I would call up his mother to ask about his progress, and every time I would ask the same question: "Is John ready to take an aliyah? When he's ready, we'd love to honor him." And each time, her answer was the same. "He's making progress, but he's just not ready yet". Winter turned into spring and spring turned into summer, and on July 1st, our new rabbi started. Like any new rabbi, he was nervous about the High Holidays, and as chair of the Religious Committee, it was my job to help him. I jumped into the effort with zeal, telling him about our minhag and lining up people for all of the honors. By the beginning of August, all the honors were filled - all except one, that is. I still hadn't chosen someone to read the opening reading on Rosh Hashanah and to light the candles and say Shehechiyanu. The rabbi was frantic - how could we risk not having someone for the very opening of the holidays. "Don't worry", I told him, "at the last minute the right name will occur to me". read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

You Can Leave Your Hat On September 14, 2009 (8 Comments) by Leon Adato (Also posted on The Edible Torah) I sat in the car for a full 15 minutes, my mind dithering, swinging wildly from illogical to irrelevance. "This is ridiculous. Just make a decision and go in." "What are the ramifications?" "Am I being consistent?" "This is ridiculous. Just make a decision and go in." "What message am I sending" "If you are late for the interview because of this, you will never live it down" "This is ridiculous. Just make a decision and go in." Outside the offices of the company where I'm scheduled for an interview, I'm deciding whether I will go in wearing my kippah or not. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

In the Presence of the Divine September 2, 2009 (3 Comments) by Dr. Wendy Nelson So often I read or hear the words, "feel the presence of the Divine" and they slide over me unemotionally and without meaning. I sit in services most weeks trying to focus on the liturgy and trying not to focus on my grocery shopping list. I am alternately moved to tears and bored to tears. I am filled with awe on occasion but, more often, I am off in outer space waiting for some gravitational pull to bring me back into the room through a connection to someone or something. I can't force the experience to be otherwise. Since I cannot control it, I go with it and let it take me where it will. Sometimes the trip is meaningful, sometimes mundane and on a rare occasion it is actually "Divine." I had an encounter with the divine last month. I don't know if it was the big Divine or the little divine, but it was surely one or both of those. On the first Saturday morning of August, a congregant became a bar mitzvah for the second time. An eager group of family and friends came to share that experience with him and we rejoiced as he read from the Torah. Then, as he took the podium to tell us about his first time becoming a bar mitzvah, a hush fell over the room, punctuated by gasps. He graciously shared with us a captivating story of being a boy of 13 in 1939 in Germany whose becoming a bar mitzvah coincided with the declaration of World War II. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish History | Jewish Living | Lifecycle

Stories We Tell Ourselves September 1, 2009 by Marge Eiseman I've been thinking about the difference between blessing and curse. This started a few weeks ago when I was preparing a Storahtelling Maven show for Parashat Re'eh. Now, it's almost Parashat Nitzavim, and the same language shows up again - either blessing or curse. In Re'eh, the blessing was going to be placed on one mountain and the curse on another - like physical objects. In Nitzavim, they are linked to "life and good, or death and evil; the blessing and the curse". When I saw the play "Distracted" by Lisa Loomer at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR, two years ago, I remember turning in awe to the stranger sitting next to me at the intermission, and saying, "I'm so blessed!" The play was a fast-paced, multi-media romp through the world of ADD and ADHD (attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity), and I was able to watch it and thank God that none of my children had this diagnosis. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

The Chief Rabbi and I August 31, 2009 (1 Comment) by Rabbi Rifat Sonsino (Also published on From Istanbul to Boston) It is well known that most Orthodox Jews do not have high regard for Reform Jews. They consider the Reformers as assimilationists and even "lesser Jews" because of the Reformers' alleged lack of religious observance and their "devious" theological views. I grew up Orthodox in Istanbul, Turkey in the early 40's. The then Chief Rabbi, David Asseo (z'l), was formerly my Hebrew teacher in the Jewish High School. He knew me well. Yet, when, much later, I visited him, along with other Reform Rabbis of the USA, he excoriated me in front of all of them for "leaving the only true religious path." This does have to be the pattern of relationship between Orthodox and Reform Jews today. It is possible to transcend the feeling of animosity between them if there is goodwill and personal rapport between us. My friendship with the present Chief Rabbi of Turkey, Isaac Haleva, is a good example. Isaac and I were part of Mahazike Hatorah ("Supporters of Torah"), a group of young Turkish Jews who were interested in synagogue life. We attended weekly Judaica classes taught by its director, Mr. Nisim Behar, who later on was ordained Rabbi in the State of Israel. Isaac was just a few years younger than me, but we were both part of the same Havurah, and remained personal friends our entire life. read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living

The Month of Elul is Here August 24, 2009 (1 Comment) by Phyllis Sommer (Originally posted on Ima on (and off) the Bima) as the new moon Elul approaches the days begin to grow shorter as the new moon Elul approaches our minds begin to wander toward the healing breaths of the days of awe. each day dawns beckoning me to examine elaborate consider remark pay attention get ready! my heart moves toward the days of awe. am i ready? have i asked the questions? forgive me pardon me raise me up renew me refresh me bring my soul back home so that i may fill myself up read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

Health Reform's Challenge August 20, 2009 (1 Comment) by Rabbi Richard Address The current debate on health care issues must find its way into every one of our congregations. The fear mongering about the so called "death panels" is a fabrication of the highest order, and President Obama is correct when he says that much of this comes down to fear vs. hope.   It is also imperative that congregations get involved in teaching how Judaism can inform and guide us in making sacred decisions as life ebbs. The Sacred Aging project of the Union for Reform Judaism has long been involved in setting up such model programs in congregations, creating safe and supportive environments to teach these traditions. Many congregations already have regular programs that teach how to approach life's end in light of medical technology, laws etc. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Paying It Forward vs. Paying In Full August 18, 2009 (3 Comments) By JanetheWriter God said, "Let the water beneath the sky be collected in one place, so that the dry ground may be seen!--and so it was.  And God called the dry ground Earth, and called the collected waters Seas.  And God saw that this was good."  Genesis 1:9-10 When God uttered those words, God didn't then go on to say, "Only those who own the dry ground where it joins the Seas may--without paying a fee--walk endlessly in the foam that laps at it, bask in the sun that beats down upon it and frolic in the rolling green swirls that rise and fall on their way to meet it."  The Eternal may as well have.  And so it was that during our family's recent vacation at Point Pleasant Beach, we paid daily for access to the sandy beach and the warm ocean swells--$7 for adults and $2 for children.  (Yes, I understand that lifeguards on a clean and safe beach come with a price that often must be shared among public, private and government entities.  And, indeed, we paid a price...perhaps just not all of what was due.) read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

Healing the Ritual: Abuse & the Mikva August 13, 2009 (4 Comments) by Daphne Price Executive Assistant to Rabbi David Saperstein (Originally posted at RACblog) I had a very clumsy week last week, and because of that clumsiness, I found myself covered in marks and bruises. I look like I could be (Gd forbid!) a battered wife. That's why, when I went to the mikva last night, I expected to be grilled by the mikva attendant, who no doubt would raise an eyebrow and comment at or question me about the bruises and welts on my body. To be clear, this isn't a cry for help. My husband would never raise a hand to me. Each time I got hurt last week, my husband was nowhere near me, and I had witnesses to each incident. The fist-sized bruise on my upper thigh appeared after I walked into a post in the parking lot of my local supermarket. An elderly man saw it happen, and said "Wow, that's gotta hurt." Oh, you betcha. The bruises on my toes appeared shortly after I pulled some cookie sheets out of their cabinet - despite my kids' nanny's best effort to prevent it, one fell and landed across my foot. And the burn mark on my stomach came from my falling into one of those cookie sheets just after it came out of the oven - my sister-in-law saw that one coming! Like I said. A total klutz. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Social Action

What's That Thing on Your Door? Explaining the Mezuzah August 3, 2009 (1 Comment) by Frank Hytken Temple Emanu El, Dallas One question all Jews are asked is "What's that thing on your door?"  The question came up again last week when two couples came over for dinner and a friend noticed the mezuzah.  I used to tell people that the Bible verse (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21) which is printed on a piece of paper inside the box includes:  "Hear O Isreal!  The Lord our God, the Lord is One.  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day ... shall be inscribed on the door posts of thy house and upon thy gates."  I usually mention that the affirmation of monotheism which we call "the Shama," and the following commandment is fundamental to our faith and we recite it each Sabbath at services in temple. The box is just a fancy cover to protect the scripture from the weather. That pretty much clears up the mystery. Last week I added something new to my explanation that I think is very meaningful to Christians.   read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Tu B'Av, Biennial and Beyond August 3, 2009 (4 Comments) By JanetheWriter With Tisha B'Av now behind us, we turn our hearts (literally) to the next (minor) holiday on the Jewish calendar - Tu B'Av - which this year, begins on Tuesday night, August 4th.  Tu B'Av?  What's that?  According to My Jewish Learning, Tu B'Av, which, like Tisha B'Av, takes its name from its place in the lunar calendar (the 15th of the month of Av) "served as a matchmaking day for unmarried women in the second Temple period (before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E.)."  The article continues, "Tu B'Av was almost unnoticed in the Jewish calendar for many centuries but it has been rejuvenated in recent decades, especially in the modern state of Israel.  In its modern incarnation it is gradually becoming a Hebrew-Jewish Day of Love, slightly resembling Valentine's Day in English-speaking countries."  You can read more about the festival here.  read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Teachable Moment July 28, 2009 (8 Comments) by William Berkson President Obama said he hoped the confrontation between Cambridge policeman James Crowley and Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates would prove to be a "teachable moment." But it's hard to find any light on what we are supposed to learn. One lesson from our tradition is that when we approach a situation that can escalate into conflict, we should use techniques to defuse conflict, and to promote cooperation. One of these techniques is in Ecclesiastes, and another in Proverbs: "The mouth of the wise charms, but the lips of a fool are his undoing."(Eccl 10:12) "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger." (Prov. 15:1) Modern psychology has in fact found that these techniques are of critical importance in interpersonal relations. Marriage researcher John Mordechai Gottman found that the best predictor of divorce is not how often a couple argues, but rather whether arguments escalate. And he found the couples who handle conflict successfully have the skill of "a soft start up" and a mollifying, rather than angry, response to an upset spouse.    read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

We Welcome the Month of Av... July 27, 2009 (1 Comment) by Phyllis Sommer (Originally posted on Ima On and Off the Bima) the month begins Av* aleph then bet sadness and joy destruction and pain remembered held onto felt but there is hope. yes, hope. will Change begin in Av? we begin with aleph-bet it is the start of it all. so too does hope and joy come out of the ashes out of the desire for repair of the world read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Reaching Out July 23, 2009 (1 Comment) by Marge Eiseman My dad was only supposed to be in Little Rock for a quick check-up, three days and then home. It turned out, he was gone for a whole month. By about the second week, I sent a message to a friend whose family is there, asking her parents to check in on my dad. She forwarded the message to them and to Rabbi Levy, of Congregation B'nai Israel. Rabbi Levy came to visit Dad in the hospital, and since I was there, we all sat around and played Jewish geography. Within a few minutes, we determined that my dad had been at Rabbi Levy's ordination ceremony. Stuff like this always happens, doesn't it? read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Bat Mitzvah Brew...and Family Ties July 22, 2009 By JanetheWriter A few weeks ago, in one of the many emails that crosses my desk daily was a link to Shmaltz Brewing Company, makers of He'brew, the Chosen Beer. It seems that the company, as part of its 13th anniversary celebration, is seeking bar and bat mitzvah photos to be featured on its website and, for one lucky "winner," on the label of its seasonal anniversary ale, Jewbelation 13. You can read more about Shmaltz' bar and bat mitzvah photo project here. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Lifecycle

How Cool to Become a Jew July 14, 2009 (3 Comments) By JanetheWriter Very early this morning, I posted this update on Facebook:  "JanetheWriter is welcoming a new Jew today...and very honored to be part of the process." To which a friend in Vermont commented:  "Oh wow!  How very cool."   A while later, I met Rosita Goldstein--fresh from the mikveh and her questioning by the beit din--and indeed it was "very cool."  Together we (her husband, four children, another witness and I) walked with her as she took the final steps on her journey to Judaism.  read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Summer in Cincinnati June 10, 2009 (2 Comments) by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (Originally posted on Ima On and Off the Bima) There are lots of "official" beginnings to summer. One of these is, for me, the Rabbinic Ordination ceremonies in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first weekend in June each year. Since my 2nd year in school, I attended every Ordination leading up to mine (in 2003) and many since. It's really an incredible thing to witness these rabbinical students turning into rabbis right before our eyes. In true Cincinnati fashion, the ceremonies are a celebration not only of these rabbinical students, but also of the whole heritage of Reform Judaism that stems from that small city on the border between North and South. Cincinnati, Ohio is truly the birthplace of Reform Judaism where Isaac Mayer Wise founded his synagogue, seminary, and most of the institutions that today comprise the backbone of the modern Reform movement. He was quite a visionary, really creating a "minhag America" - an American custom - that endures today. (Minhag America was the name that Wise gave to the prayerbook he composed.) read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Welcoming New Colleagues June 9, 2009 by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (Originally published on Thoughts from Rabbi Phyllis) Every year, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion ordains its current class of seniors. It elevates them from their status as "student rabbis" to "Rabbis." All of their training, practice, work, study, learning, and preparation culminates in a ceremony that bestows the title upon them. It is moving, inspiring, and truly memorable. This year, there has been a lot of media attention on the ordination ceremonies that took place in Cincinnati. A great deal of attention has been bestowed upon a great "first" for the College-Institute, the ordination of the first African-American woman as a rabbi. It was a historic moment for the school, for our movement, for our people. In many ways, however, it reminded me of the truly marvelous stories that each of these newly-minted rabbis bring to our school, our movement and our people. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Mifgash Musicale and 6 Degrees of Separation June 4, 2009 by Peter Pundy I'm sitting here this morning trying to figure out how to make it to Mifgash Musicale, the summer institute for synagogue musicians offered by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), and the Guild of Temple Musicians (GTM). I'm not thinking about how great this program is, this I already know. No, I'm struggling to figure out where to source funds in these trying times to make the commitment to attend before the June 12th deadline! Deliberating this, thinking of everyone I know, it struck me to question how very many aspects of my recent life trace back to Mifgash Musicale. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

My Confirmation Rose June 1, 2009 (3 Comments) By JanetheWriter (Originally posted on JanetheWriter Writes) I am familiar with several Shavuot traditions--eating dairy foods and studying all night--but only recently learned from Ima on the Bima's blog that "it [also] is customary to decorate synagogues and homes with flowers and greenery...." That image reminded me that my own confirmation service--30 years ago today, June 1, 1979--began when we, the three confirmands, affirmed our commitment to Judaism with these words: We speak to you, To the congregation, To the world, And to our religion, And we say: We accept our heritage, And we guarantee A Judaic tomorrow. We then ascended the bima, individually placed a white rose in the basket of flowers already positioned there and said: We offer this flower as a sign of our Judaism. May it ever flourish with the beauty of relevance, with the sweet aroma of genuineness, and with a simple elegance which inspires us to become all of which we are capable. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Why Spin Instructors are Like Rabbis May 26, 2009 (2 Comments) By Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (Originally posted on Ima on (and off) the Bima) I think I've discovered why I like going to Spinning classes. It's just like being at services, except I'm not in charge: It lasts about an hour, just like services. I can get into a rhythm, just like in a good prayer experience. There's a rubric to follow. Sprints, climbs, flat roads....Sh'ma u'virchote-ha, Amidah, Torah service... There's music, sometimes to sing along with.... There's a sense of shared purpose. We're all in this together. There's a lot of stand-up, sit-down.* The instructor uses her hands to indicate "stand up" and "sit down"... just like I do.* She offers encouragement, similar to the way that a rabbi might offer explanations of the prayers. She sometimes throws out questions for the group to answer, just as I might when leading services or giving a sermon. People are often reticent to answer. Just like at services. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

A Fresh Start May 22, 2009 (4 Comments) by Emily Grotta This morning I see the tender plants that I worried would not survive a recent cold snap are thriving. The beets and lettuce are now more than an inch high; the cucumbers are pushing out new leaves; the hybrid tomato plants that I put in seem to be setting roots;  and the peas and beans are close to 10 inches tall. It is mornings like this that make me feel "all's right with the world."  God's world, dormant all winter, is alive and once again giving us hope and a belief in renewal. This Spring I appreciate it more than ever, however, as I, too, am about to begin a fresh start. Next week I leave the Union for Reform Judaism where, for almost 15 years, my vocation and my avocation were seamlessly entwined. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

False Idols May 21, 2009 (2 Comments) By dcc Kris Allen beat out Adam Lambert on American Idol this week. Outside increasing RJ.org's Google rating by including the most popular sentence of the week in this post, why should we be talking about this pop cultural upset on a Jewish blog? Please read on! I am a regular viewer of the show in question, but on a purely sociological level of course and I didn't have a favorite or anything like that... But everyone, and I mean everyone, KNEW Adam Lambert was going to take the crown and become the king of all things rock. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

A Synagogue Upon My Heart May 7, 2009 by JanetheWriter Although I've already been fortunate in having two spiritual homes - one in Edison, New Jersey and one in Woodstock, Vermont - I've been shul shopping for yet a third one in New York City, where I currently live and work. I came to my first spiritual home in 1972 in a somewhat random process that started with my mother looking in the phone book and ended with membership at Temple Emanu-El for our family, including on-the-spot enrollment in religious school for my sister and me. My mother, of course, knows that the phone book is no way to select a synagogue, but extenuating circumstances were at play and for a variety of reasons, that's just the way it happened. Luckily, everything worked out and even today, my emotional attachment to this congregation is palpable. In that building on James Street I was consecrated, became bat mitzvah and celebrated my confirmation and wedding, as well as other family simchas, countless second-night seders, Shabbat dinners, high holy days, and a festival or two, most recently several weeks ago on the last day of Passover. Indeed, Temple Emanu-El in Edison is a synagogue upon my heart. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

What are we teaching our children? May 4, 2009 (3 Comments) by Marge Eiseman Last week, at the Yom HaAtzma'ut celebration, I was busy selling my wares in the little shuk. When the concert started, all the people left, and I finally got up to take a break, I looked over at the little food court that was next to me, and all the bistro tables were left dirty - even though the garbage cans were five feet away. A couple of days later, I saw a woman with a child in the backseat carefully place her empty Starbucks cup on the ground outside her car door, because she had just bought another drink to put into her cup-holder. I asked her, "Don't you want your cup?" and she said, "No." and drove away, leaving the empty cup marking her parking space. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Youth and Family Life

Welcoming the New Month of Iyar April 24, 2009 By Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (Originally posted on Ima on (and off) the Bima) Iyar not Nisan, not Sivan not slaves and not yet fully free the month of transition of transit not here and not there wandering where are we? what are we doing here? once we were slaves now we are free. so what do we do with ourselves? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

T'fillin - The perspective of a Conservative convert, Reform Jew April 13, 2009 (10 Comments) by Jacob V. Aftel Ohef Sholom Temple of Norfok, VA Well, there it is - mentioned four times in the Torah; Exodus 13:1-10, Exodus 13:11-16, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:13-21 where we are commanded that "you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes."  Them and they of course refer to the words of G_d.  The specific words are the story of the exodus and the mitzvot.  Of the 613 mitzvot, the act of laying t'fillin is considered by its adherents to be a serious one to ignore. Beyond the commandment to do so, the Torah does not describe the t'fillin nor does the Torah instruct how the t'fillin should be put on and worn.  Oral tradition is mostly responsible for the handmade, relatively expensive adornment used as an adjunct to daily prayer.  The interpretation of the directive in the Torah is how we ended up with t'fillin. read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living

Matzo Outside the Box: A Modern Tale of Biblical Portions March 26, 2009 (25 Comments) by Natalie Seltzer As Passover approaches, so does that age-old question: "What are we going to do with all of this left-over matzo?" Little do most people suspect that matzo can be exciting, tasty, and infinite, a truth I discovered when I found out I had an allergy to yeast. I started cooking and eating matzo year-round and discovered that matzo answered many of my cooking and eating dilemmas. Hence, my newly-launched blog that takes matzo to a new level, Matzo Outside the Box. As my alter-ego Bernie and I have learned, Matzo easily replaces traditional breading for eggplant parmesan, dough for pizza, and layers of four layer chocolate cake. Matzo is an old food product (biblical, even). It is extremely versatile... more then just a platform for peanut butter, jelly and cream cheese. Jazz up your Passover Seder this year with this nouvelle cuisine matzo recipe from my blog: read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

Reform Jewish Education: A Brave New World March 24, 2009 (4 Comments) "There is a new container full of old wine and an old container in which there is not even new wine." -Pirkei Avot 4: 20 New technologies are changing the world of Reform Jewish education, and as Rabbi Scott Sperling puts it, our challenge is to fill the "new container with old wine." In the current volume of Torah at the Center Sperling and others cite examples of this brave new world: A weekly d'var Torah video group on Facebook where teens discuss the weekly Torah portion Online study groups for students in Sderot who can't get to class because of Quasam missile attacks Podcasts created by elementary Jewish day school students Class tzedakah collections transformed into microloans Electronic theme-based siddurim (prayerbooks) created by students and presented during school worship services High school Jewish electronic portfolios Assistive technology that reads written text aloud for special needs students A rabbi reaching out on a social networking site to a child grieving over the loss of a grandparent  read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

I Friended God on Facebook! March 9, 2009 (2 Comments) By Rabbi Paul Kipnes (Originally posted on Or Am I?) I spent much time during my time in Israel, playing on and updating my Facebook page. I reconnected with some old friends and developed connections with some newer ones. There's nothing like discovering an old friend and catching up again. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Choosing Your Label March 6, 2009 By dcc "Some shoppers want food that was grown locally, harvested from animals that were treated humanely or produced by workers who were paid a fair wage. The organic label doesn't mean any of that." The New York Times Organics are big business; the industry boasted more than $20 billion in profits last year reports the New York Times article quoted above. But what does it mean to buy organic or locally raised, significantly more expensive food? It means that if you are talking about it, not just doing it, you need to be labeled as an organic consumer to find some sort of meaningful connection to your grub. We all are searching for that connection that makes us feel good and worthwhile. Food -- being essential both to survival and pleasure -- holds unique position in our journey towards meaningful existence. We are labeling ourselves with something that we choose to see as cleaner when we buy that cage free chicken, that wild fish or those organic veggies. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Us--Back Then March 3, 2009 (7 Comments) by William Berkson When trying to understand what is going on in society, I always feel like I've come in the middle of the movie. I see what's happening, but, not knowing what came before, I don't quite understand what the players' motivations and viewpoints are. And so I don't quite understand what is going on. I always eagerly look to history for a better understanding of the present. So in my quest to understand what is happening now in Reform Judaism, I was delighted to come across the eye-opening article "Miss Daisy's Planet: The Strange World of Reform Judaism in the United States: 1970-1930", by Prof. Yaakov Ariel. It is in the book Platforms and Prayerbooks, edited by Dana Evan Kaplan. I have always had an uneasy feeling that what is called Classical Reform was never quite real, in spite of the passion and lucidity of the famous "Pittsburgh Platform" of 1885. Ariel reveals that the ideology of Reform leaders like Kaufman Kohler--author of the Pittsburgh Platform--and the reality of the lives of Reform Jews were in fact in some ways very different. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Aliyat haNefesh, My Soul Ascends to Jerusalem February 24, 2009 By Rabbi Paul Kipnes (Originally posted on Or Am I?) I'm in Israel now. This might be a good time to reflect upon the purpose of this trip. My Israel Adventure 2009 has three purposes: To attend the convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (Reform Movement rabbis) who meet once in seven years in Israel;  To help guide a small group of Or Ami people (a congregant and his current/future sons-in-law) through Israel; To make my annual Aliyat haNefesh (spiritual ascent) to our Jewish holy land. read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living

Im ein kemach, ein Havdalah? I'm unconvinced. February 18, 2009 (3 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky (Originally posted on The Reform Shuckle) A debate has raged this week at iWorship, the URJ's listserve for synagogue Ritual or Worship Committee members, regarding the timing of Havdalah. In this late stage of halachic development, I'm a little amused and taken aback that such a debate could rage at all. Certainly, the timeframe for Havdalah is well established. It must be done after dark, once three or more stars are visible. Simple, right? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat

Bicentennial man February 12, 2009 (1 Comment) By Arielle Gingold (First posted on the RACblog) Today we celebrate the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. Unfortunately, with a debate between evolution and intelligent design rife in our country, staggering new polling data finding only 4 in 10 Americans believe in evolution, and the ever-present push to teach creationism in public schools, we can't quite call this the happiest of birthdays. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Getting Yourself Organized for the Real World February 6, 2009 By Jake Adler (First posted on the Kesher blog) Jake Adler shares his struggles to find balance in religious ritual, time management, and ultimately, life. My family has never been particularly big on routines. We rarely ever lit Shabbat candles or had Shabbat dinner together in my home. It was never part of our schedule. As the mood took us, we would have Chinese, French, sushi, or my mom's favorite, the local steakhouse. This novel indecisiveness could be thrilling, but at times it was also confusing. With so many options available, it's sometimes difficult to narrow down your options. As a result, I often had trouble knowing when to stop putting things on my plate. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat

Finding God in the New York Times February 5, 2009 By Gardening Grandma The juxtaposition of three stories in this morning's New York Times made me stop and realize I've been spending far too much time thinking about what's happening to me in my very small footprint in time and far too little time appreciating the great flow of history and God's creation. On page 1 we learn that Dr. Death, Aribert Ferdinand Heim, never atoned for the atrocities he performed at Buchenwald. Writing from his haven in Egypt, perhaps as recently as 1979, he wrote that it was Simon Weisenthal who invented the atrocities he performed, and he decried the possibility of anti-Semitism because most Jews were not Semitic in ethnic origin. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Out of the Narrow Places February 4, 2009 (1 Comment) By Marge Eiseman I wonder why the conversations I've been having lately seem to have the same underlying theme - I can talk to people in different cities, from various parts of my life, and we are all exploring the same thing. Change, creativity and trying to move out of the stuck places are the dominant themes. One of my friends calls this "living in Torah time", and sees the conversations of the mundane as actually our sacred journey played out beyond the temporal bounds of time. The current story we are learning, Parashat B'Shallach, where we collect Joseph's bones and finally face the moment of crossing the Sea with all the attendant miracles and wonders, is an amazing meta-story for us to look at in our culture and our personal lives. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

Sibling Rivalry: Can't Kill 'em so Try to Love 'em February 2, 2009 By Rabbi Paul Kipnes (Originally posted on Or Am I?) I have three siblings: an older sister, and two younger brothers. Our relationships with each other have, like the sides of an accordion, sometimes drawn closer and sometimes moved farther apart. At times distance (east-west coast, California-Israel) has made my heart grow fonder; occasionally the distance provides an easy excuse to ignore them. While we may argue over who is our parents' favorite ("my son, the rabbi"..., kind of hard to beat that), we so often turn to each other when the going gets really tough. A seven-year-old girl, discussing her younger sister and herself, once said: "I think that God is having one big experiment. God put two people who are very different in one house to live and wants to see what happens." Truth be told: my brothers and I had some knock-down, drag-outs in our day, and we all did a lot of kvetching - complaining - about each other too. But in various ways, my siblings are the people who consume much of the space in my heart. Our relationships are intense, complex and deeply cherished. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Mine and Ours January 29, 2009 (13 Comments) by dcc Back when I prayed, during the silent prayer I would always look at my feet taking note of the floor or ground and how it was different from the other places I had prayed. I would wonder who else had looked at this piece of earth while in prayer. I would get lost in the fact that an Omnipotent God can hear in any place. Be it in a summer camp chapel overlooking the Pacific in a once cold, lifeless conference room filled with ruach (spirit) of thousands of teens or in ridged pew of a temple, I would look to the ground to see where I was standing. But I don't do that anymore. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

The Rethinking Reform Think Tank January 28, 2009 (2 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky (First posted on The Reform Shuckle) The most personal and most moving session I attended at LimmudNY 2009 was called Rethinking Reform and was advertised as being led by members of the so-called Rethinking Reform Think Tank. I do not know who else is in this group, but those leading the session were Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning Executive Director Rabbi Leon Morris, HUC rabbinical student Jill Cozen-Harel and former HUC student, current Ziegler rabbinical student, blogger and one of my many teachers, David Singer. One year prior to this session, at LimmudNY 2008, the three of them came together for the first time from a place of frustration, loneliness, and excitement to create what they now refer to as The Reform Think Tank. I'll let them speak for themselves in the following, their missions statement: read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Blessings for Today: A New Day in America January 21, 2009 (4 Comments) By JanetheWriter We Jews have blessings for all occasions:  for bread, for wine, for joyous times, for sad times, upon seeing a rainbow, for flowers and herbs, for social action... the list goes on. Each morning we thank God for returning our souls to our bodies and for a host of other daily miracles:  enabling us to distinguish day from night, opening our eyes, freeing the captive, lifting the fallen, and so on. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Social Action

Strengthening Reform: 20. Jewish Ethics and Patriarchy January 12, 2009 (10 Comments) by William Berkson Ecclesiastes was wrong: there is something new under sun. Our world has three crucial differences from the worlds of the Torah and the Talmud: science, democracy, and women's equality. As I argued in the last post in this series, modern science means that we need to look not only to our sacred texts for personal guidance, but also to insights of modern science, including psychology and sociology. Thus if we are going to understand what God wants of us ethically, the ethical mitzvot, we need to apply our improved understanding of ourselves and of society, and synthesize that with what we learn from our sacred texts. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Siblings of People with Special Needs: Next Steps in Disability Awareness Outreach January 6, 2009 (1 Comment) By Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes Our Congregation Or Ami (in Calabasas, CA), like so many Reform Jewish congregations, spends significant time and energy embracing and supporting families with children with special needs. We are proactively welcoming, because our tradition teaches us that we all were created b'tzelem Elohim, in God's image. Taking our lead from the Union for Reform Judaism's Disability Awareness initiatives, we have come to understand that "with special needs children, there are two values being played out, simultaneously. Working with one child, Brandon Kaplan, for instance, we saw that Brandon is a kid like any other kid created in the image of God, worthy of love. But Brandon is also a special kid and there is an honor and joy to the congregation that he participates to the fullness of his abilities. So he's normal and special, but here's the secret: so is every other kid." read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Finding Words of Hope January 5, 2009 by Gardening Grandma I've always resonated to the writings of the late Rabbi Chaim Stern, editor of Gates of Prayer and Gates of Repentance.  But it wasn't until I read a post by his widow, Lea Lane, on The Huffington Post blog that I realized how his words can be of comfort and encouragement during these difficult days. The passages quoted are from Day by Day, and include this: May I be among those who are hard to provoke and easy to appease. May I be a friend of peace at home and at work, and everywhere I go. When I am angry let me reflect whether my anger is proportionate to its cause and appropriate in its expression. read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living

Control, God and the University of Miami December 31, 2008 (2 Comments) by dcc There was a very interesting piece in the New York Times Science section this week about religion. A researcher from the University of Miami found that true believers have better self-control. In keeping with the findings of this study, I will not re-write the article but only give you a taste; I am controlling my bombastic desire to be bearer of news and information. [The researcher's] interest arose from a desire to understand why religion evolved and why it seems to help so many people. Researchers around the world have repeatedly found that devoutly religious people tend to do better in school, live longer, have more satisfying marriages and be generally happier. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

What Kind of Jew am I? December 31, 2008 (12 Comments) by Chaim I have been struggling lately about where I fit in the Jewish world and thought the RJ Blog would be a good place to discuss this. I think the reason I have been struggling is because I seem to sort of float between Orthodox and Reform in my religious practice and understanding of Torah. I basically believe the Torah was given to Moses at Sinai by G-d, but not dictated 'word for word'. But rather the ideas and methods in which to connect to G-d were given to (or discovered by) Moses, passed down through the generations, and eventually written down as the Torah we know today. I believe the Torah to be sort of a 'mystical code' of sorts written in simple language to convey deeper metaphysical ideas and concepts. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Remembering a Giant: Arnold Jacob Wolf December 31, 2008 (2 Comments) by Rabbi Elliott A. Kleinman Chief Program Officer, Union for Reform Judaism (First published on the RACblog) When I learned of Rabbi Arnold Wolf's death on Wednesday evening, I was overwhelmed by the loss. Arnold was my rabbi. My parents were founders of Congregation Solel in Highland Park, IL, and Arnold has been a part of every moment of my life. It was Arnold who inspired me to be a rabbi and challenged me to be a Jew, and it was Arnold who taught me how to do both. Some of my earliest memories are of Arnold berating our congregation or our religious school class or the board of the congregation for not doing enough in the pursuit of justice. What I remember most is that we loved every moment of it. God was real and I "had better pay attention" he would remind us. "I am Adonai your God" was not a promise but a challenged to be lived up to every moment in every action. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle

Shamor v'zachor - Observe and Remember December 29, 2008 (2 Comments) by Daniel Crane First-year rabbinical student at HUC-JIR Originally written for blogHUC and Daniel's blog Journaling in Jerusalem I've been involved with interfaith dialogue since my first year of college. So when I signed up for Rav Siach, an interdenominational rabbinical student discussion group in Jerusalem, I expected an interesting and smooth experience. The past two months have definitely been interesting, but I could hardly call them smooth! For the past eight weeks, four fellow HUC rabbinical students and I have been traveling to Melitz, a pluralistic education center in Jerusalem, to meet a handful of our future colleagues from other denominations. There are about a dozen participants with three facilitators, and we come from Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, "orthodox," and non-denominational backgrounds. Thus, we come to the table not only with our personal perspectives but also with the weight of our "movements" on our shoulders. And all that weight has made for some very heavy conversations. We discuss and debate issues like commandedness, the role of the rabbi, and denominational distinctions, and we strive to keep our minds open while attempting to understand the thoughts of the others. This can be a significant challenge, but our mutual respect gives us the motivation to try our hardest. read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Israel | Jewish Living | Shabbat

The Candle of Contemplation December 26, 2008 by Rabbi Paul J. Kipnes A Story (learned from Rabbi Cheryl Peretz) There is wonderful Hasidic story, told of a conversation between the rabbi and a member of his community. The man once asked: "Rabbi, what is a Jew's task in this world?" The rabbi answered: "A Jew is a lamp-lighter on the streets of the world. In olden days, there was a person in every town who would light the gas street lamps with a light he carried on the end of a long pole. On the street corners, the lamps sat, ready to be lit. A lamp-lighter has a pole with a flame supplied by the town. He knows that the fire is not his own and he goes around lighting the lamps on his route." The man then asked: "But what if the lamp is in a desolate wilderness?" The rabbi responded: "Then, too, one must light it. Let it be noted that there is a wilderness and let the wilderness be shamed by the light." Not satisfied, the man asked: "But what if the lamp is in the middle of the sea?" The rabbi responded: "Then one must take off one's clothes, jump into the water, and light it there!" read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

A Buoyant Spirit December 24, 2008 (1 Comment) By Marge Eiseman I haven't yet seen the movie "Yes Man" (and I probably won't, since Jim Carrey's energy is a bit much for me!), but it got me thinking about how we present ourselves to the world, and what factors into our essential nature. I know people who are ruled by fear, who worry about things beyond their control and don't expect the best in any situation. Their default setting is "No!" They don't seek new experiences, and they don't see life as a blessing, or have a sense of how they could bring blessing into the world. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

Confirming the Diversity within Our Reform Movement December 23, 2008 (8 Comments) by Rabbi Paul Kipnes Congregation Or Ami Question: What do you get when you take four most thoughtful, compassionate, committed Jewish teens, with whom I have studied Judaism for eight to twelve years, and put them together up on the bimah at Erev Shabbat services? Answer: A very moving Confirmation Class service. Congregation Or Ami's service last night was deeply meaningful. Our Confirmands - Alex Krasnoff, Ross Meyer, Jonny Wixen, and Sarah Wolfson - led the prayers and in between, offered their reflections on a series of questions: If asked by a non-Jewish person what you cherish about Judaism, what would you say? What do you believe or think about God? Having studied Judaism for 10-13 years, what ideas or parts of Judaism are most significant or meaningful for you? What has Judaism taught you that will help you later in life? How do you feel connected to Israel? When have you felt the most Jewish and why? Some of their responses, a picture of the diversity within our Reform Movement, include: read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Lifecycle

Color Me Jewish December 21, 2008 By JanetheWriter For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by colors and the words that bring them to life.  Even today, among my most treasured possessions in a storage box high on a closet shelf is my childhood box of 64 Crayola crayons (circa 1967).  Included in that well worn green and yellow cardboard holder with the flip top and the built-in sharpener are equally well worn sticks of colored wax, each with a name to go with it--"magenta" (my personal favorite), "cornflower," "yellow green" and "green yellow," as well as the most un-PC and now-retired "flesh" and "Indian red." Back then who knew from "wild blue yonder," "outrageous orange" or "razzle dazzle rose?" Not surprisingly, the children's book Hailstones and Halibut Bones: Adventures in Color, the literary equivalent of that box of Crayolas was my favorite in that same era.  Like the crayons, the book--with its worn binding and weathered pages, one of which is affixed with an upside-down bookplate on which I'd neatly printed my name--remains among my most treasured possessions.  On each two-page spread, author Mary O'Neill and artist Leonard Weisgard query readers about a particular color before providing a poetic and wonderfully illustrated answer that, even in a young child, evoked deep emotion.  On page 15 we read: "What is Gold?  Gold is a metal/Gold is a ring/Gold is a most beautiful thing./Gold is the sunshine/Light and thin/Warm as a muffin/On your skin..."  First published in 1961, the words and pictures represent a simpler time:  "What is Brown? Brown is the color of a country road/Back of a turtle/Back of a toad./Brown is cinnamon/And morning toast/And the good smell of The Sunday roast.  What is Purple What is Orange?  What is Red?  What is White?  And so on... read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Time to Cherish December 16, 2008 by Marge Eiseman I guess it always matters where we start telling our stories - does my personal story begin at my conception? Birth? First memory? Last night, I called one of my best friends, and I was hoping that I would reach her 17 year old daughter. I just wanted to check in with her, because, in addition to the normal stress of high school seniors who are waiting to see where they will be accepted for next year, we are all dealing with her mom's new diagnosis of breast cancer. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle

"Here I am-Your Partner-Let's Dialogue." December 11, 2008 (3 Comments) by Sybil Schwartz Member of Congregation Beth Emeth, Wilmington, DE Rabbi Bloom's article "What God Can Learn From Us" published in the Winter Edition of Reform Judaism seems to take the approach of considering God's relationship to humans and our relationship to God as evolutionary in development. Intellectually we know that we are but a complicated composite of simple atoms all interconnected in a mortal body with a mind that can learn, conceptualize, create and feel. We have the capacity to master many tasks-the hardest may be the formulation of a mature relationship with God. Maybe for each person our relationship with God is more like a blind date in which the parties try to determine if there is even a connection beyond their first exploratory encounter. And from that first momentary encounter of our ancestors reaching out to the God, we continue to explore that relationship-one that seems to be shrouded in awe and mystery so much of the time. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

The Ghosts of Christmas Past December 10, 2008 (28 Comments) by Andi Rosenthal This article was originally published on InterfaithFamily.com In the midst of packing up the apartment where I've lived for the past seven years, I found them right where I knew they would be, in a box at the very back of the hall closet. Sighing, I opened it. There they were, bells and angels, stars and glass balls, shimmering in every color of the rainbow, shining out of the depths of the cardboard darkness. My Christmas ornaments, every single one with its own story, its own memory. I picked one up--a goofy orange ceramic lobster my sister had brought from Maine--and gazed at it, remembering my final Christmas tree in 2001, the year before I converted. "Throw them out," said my friend Chrissy, as she folded up the clothes I would be donating to a local charity. "It's not like you're going to use them ever again." "No," I replied, a note of stubbornness coming into my voice. "I want to keep them." read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

For the Blessings that Have Been Our Common Lot November 26, 2008 (3 Comments) by JanetheWriter It seems plausible that Thanksgiving as we know it today derives originally from our tradition's Sukkot. Whether or not this is, in fact, true, in our consumer-driven, must-have-the-latest-greatest-gadget, me-me-me society, this autumnal chag is a wonderful opportunity to step back, to reflect on what really matters and, individually and collectively, to celebrate our many blessings. In my family, Thanksgiving minhag dictates that someone (usually my mother) reads a poem, prayer or other seasonal passage before we dig in. Last year, a few days before the holiday, Connecticut Governor Wilbur L. Cross' 1936 Thanksgiving proclamation crossed my desk and it was I who read it at our Thanksgiving table. read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

Should we invite conversion? November 20, 2008 (63 Comments) By Gardening Grandma Three years ago Rabbi Eric Yoffie said it was time for Reform Jews to actively encourage conversion.  "It is a mitzvah to help a potential Jew become a Jew-by-choice," he told the Biennial assembly. Do you agree with Rabbi Yoffie? In the winter edition of Reform Judaism magazine, two Reform rabbis take on the issue. See what Rabbi Stephen Einstein and Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg, both members of the Joint Commission on Outreach and Membership, have to say. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Conduct Un-becoming November 17, 2008 (3 Comments) By Andi L. Rosenthal When I was four years old, I learned how to make the Sign of the Cross. As a pre-kindergarten student at the Immaculate Conception School, I was taught that this was a necessary practice to begin and end any conversation we wished to have with God. We were to use this rite any time we needed to talk to God - to give thanks, to pray for help or healing, or even just to ask a question. I remember clearly how the nuns walked up and down the rows of desks, painstakingly correcting each child as they sought to master the choreography of the ritual - the slight touching of the forehead, then the space right below the heart, first left, then right. As a child, it fascinated me that this tiny ceremony was akin to picking up the phone, or in these days, opening up a text window to send an email. Just ask the question, we were taught, and you will receive an answer. So it was with great interest and excitement that I read Rabbi Jack Bloom's article in the latest edition of Reform Judaism magazine. Perhaps because I learned from a very young age that the signs and wonders of God's creation were all around us, or perhaps because I was taught to share my desk with a guardian angel, I found Rabbi Bloom's article to be not nearly as controversial as some would perceive. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

On Gods and Mortals November 17, 2008 (11 Comments) By Larry Kaufman Rabbi Bloom's provocative view of our relationship with God centers on the God of the Torah, and I respectfully suggest that we 21st century Reform Jews relate to Somebody altogether different. Taught as we are that we are made b'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, we are more likely to look in the mirror than in the Torah to develop our picture. I find more truth than poetry in the story of the little boy huddled with his crayons over a sheet of paper, whose mother asks what he is doing. "I'm drawing a picture of God," he replies. "But Sammy," his mother remonstrates, "nobody knows what God looks like." "Of course not," says Sammy. "I'm not done yet." read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Torah

Closed on Shabbat November 11, 2008 (25 Comments) By JanetheWriter A recent post on her blog by Rabbi Phyllis Sommer (aka Ima on (and off) the Bima) reminds me that Baruch College could learn a thing or two from Isaac and Moishe Nava, proprietors of La Casa de Isaac, a Jewish-Mexican restaurant in the suburbs of Chicago that's closed on Shabbat. This week at Baruch, it's time to register for the spring semester and as is the minhag of the school, students, based on the number of credits earned to date, are assigned a specific timeslot in which to complete their online registration.  Although I certainly am not shomer Shabbos in the traditional sense, I do enjoy celebrating Shabbat and the holidays in a liberal sort of way.  I was dismayed, therefore, to receive an email notifying me that my online registration appointment is this Friday, November 14 at 8:15 p.m.  read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat

Strengthening Reform 18: The Leaky Glass October 30, 2008 (44 Comments) By William Berkson In response to several of my posts in critique of the current state of Reform theology, fellow RJ blogger Larry Hoffman has said that he views the glass as 'half full', as opposed to my 'half empty'. So while good changes are always welcome, we are in pretty good shape. In particular, he has pointed to the fact that Reform movement is growing in numbers, while the Conservative movement is shrinking. This last fact is indeed true, but it masks grave problems. That is because the "glass" is leaking, according to what I have read. Right now I can't put my hand on the sources, but I have read that a significant part of the increase comes from formerly Conservative Jews joining Reform Synagogues. And I believe that if you take away these, the numbers of Reform Jews have actually shrunk. Hopefully someone here can correct me if I got this wrong. But I believe what is happening is that those who are raised in a Conservative synagogue marry either a Reform Jew or intermarry, and then they join a Reform synagogue, where their spouse feels more at home or more welcome. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living | Torah

Met any lamed vavniks lately? October 28, 2008 (8 Comments) By Gardening Grandma Trying to stretch in a new direction, I'm taking a fiction writing class. This week's assignment: write a character description of a superhero. For me, who never watched Batman or Spiderman and only begrudgingly saw Superman since his alter ego was a reporter, I was at a loss. Who can believe in - let alone imagine - a superhero? But then I got to thinking about our Jewish tradition, and the role superheroes have played throughout our history. Perhaps the superheroes of 5769 aren't people who fly through the air or lift cars with the flick of the wrist. Maybe today's superheroes are the 36 Lamed Vav Tzadikim - the 36 righteous people who, were it not for them, the world would come to an end. Tradition tells us no one knows who the lamed vavniks are, but we can all guess who might be. Anyone have any nominations?   read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Remembering October 27, 2008 By JanetheWriter At last week's Yizkor service, just before the El Malei Rachamim, the rabbi asked people to recite the names of those they were remembering and to say a few words about them. Knowing that my mother would, of course, speak about her parents, I planned to mention two bachelor uncles -- great uncles, really, -- one whom I knew and one whom I did not. Uncle Irv was my mother's uncle, my grandfather's brother, about whom I've written before on this blog. He was a gardener's gardener. As one who kills houseplants with great regularity, I most certainly did not inherit any of his DNA. In a small plot of soil - indoors or out - Uncle Irv could coax tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, beans, flowers and more to burst forth from the earth, all the while smoking forbidden cigarettes and "hiding" them in his pocket whenever one of us came out in the yard to check on him. It's a wonder he never set himself on fire. He was as loving to all of us -- his nieces and their families -- as he was to his beloved plants, and we miss him terribly. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Ever hear the one about the Rabbi, the minister and the bagpiper? October 27, 2008 (3 Comments) By Steve Arnold I know it sounds like a corny joke, but it's the situation I had to balance recently in finally laying the ashes of my late wife to rest. In a world where more than half of all Jewish marriages are interfaith, finding a way to balance those different cultural demands is something we're all going to face. My story starts in April when my wife Marg died suddenly. She was a believing, but non-practicing Anglican and I'm Jewish. Her relatives are hard-right Pentacostals. The funeral service and visitation were marred by some serious and bitter conflicts with her relatives over fundamental questions - Marg and I had always talked about cremation, but her relatives were horrified at the idea her body wouldn't be ready for the rapture. I would sit shiva after the funeral, but for the service itself I wanted a dignified Anglican funeral - they wanted their family pastor to preach "hell fire and damnation." Emotions ran high. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle

Bereshit: New Beginnings October 25, 2008 (5 Comments) By Andi Rosenthal  This morning, my weekly Torah study group, along with thousands of b'nei mitzvah children all over the world, began the Torah over again. The beginning comes, in my opinion, at the exact perfect moment, when the chill in the air and the gorgeous vibrant leaves and the deep azure of the Sound all bring the beauty of G-d's handiwork into sharp focus. It's as if, no matter what troubles or joys you are facing, you simply have to notice what a beautiful world we live in. And as a writer, very few narratives intrigue me as much as our sacred story of creation. Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim v'et ha'aretz - in the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth - is one of those perfect first lines - in fact, it is THE perfect first line. And I think any writer worth their keyboard would agree. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle | Torah

Strengthening Reform 17: Reasons for the Mitzvot October 23, 2008 (7 Comments) By William Berkson As I wrote in the last post in this series, because in Reform our sacred texts are no longer regarded as authoritative, the "Reasons for the Mitzvot", ta'amei hamitzvot, have moved from being incidental to being central. In Reform, the reasons for the mitzvot become standards for interpreting, accepting, rejecting, and modifying the mitzvot as expressed in our sacred literature. That is why I have been alarmed by the latest turn in Reform thinking, as seen in the 1999 Pittsburgh Principles and in Rabbi Richard Levy's A Vision of Holiness, which expands on the Principles. For in this discussion, the predominant philosophy seems to be, as I said, Romantic Individualism. We as individuals 'try on' mitzvot to see if they are spiritually uplifting, and as part of our 'dialogue' with God we are moved to practice the mitzvot or not. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living | Torah

Control October 20, 2008 (4 Comments) By dcc Tamar Fox at Mixed Multitudes writes about Y-Love's finding that there are "activists" in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg who are destroying advertisements because the food pictured in these billboards is "excessive and indulgent." These ultra-Orthodox food-pleasure police are defacing property of surrounding businesses because they think photographs of food that is just too tasty will distract people and lead them into a life of crime, mischief and non-Jewish activity. Stop me anytime now, but isn't vandalism criminal, mischievous and non-Jewish? Outside of the somewhat backwards tactics of resistance, why can't the ultra-Orthodox practice restraint and control? read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

"Our Pagan Yom Kippur" from FailedMessiah October 13, 2008 (6 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky (First published on The Reform Shuckle) Over at the excellent blog FailedMessiah.com, a whistle-blowing blog out to expose far right wing orthodox Judaism as a harmful force in the world (by covering stuff like child molestation and Agriprocessors), there's a really interesting post about the ancient Mesopotamian holiday of Kapuru, held in the Babylonian month of Tashritu. Sound familiar? It's a cool post. Here's an excerpt: Our ancestors borrowed a great deal from a towering, imperial Mesopotamian culture that for centuries dominated the Fertile Crescent. That we used Babylonian calendar names is widely known. Semitic peoples had used the lunar calendar from time immemorial, but named their months differently. What the (Hebrew-speaking) Canaanites called Aviv, Ziv, Eytanim and Bul, the practical-minded Hebrews first renamed months One, Two, Seven and Eight. The Babylonians called them Nisanu, Ayaru, Tashritu and Archasamnu. In time, our ancestors replaced their numerals with the Babylonian names, many of which are named in honor of Mesopotamian gods. read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

On the Subject of Tallit October 12, 2008 (12 Comments) By Mary Hofmann I've been on a strange quest for an answer that never comes, so one more college try!  I love wrapping myself in my tallit.  I feel safe and cozy and experience a sense of balance and oneness with the One that is missing when I don't wear it.  When I've asked about why we aren't supposed to wear our tallitot except for morning Torah services, I receive only responses that tell me that the Torah enjoins us to wear it during morning services, not why I SHOULDN'T wear it in the evening.  Different question. Am I alone out here in the wilderness on this one, or are there others out there who'd like to add to, not break with, tradition on this subject? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Prostration II October 10, 2008 (4 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 | Jewish Living

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 premise 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." read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Strengthening Reform 16: Ethical and Ritual Mitzvot October 6, 2008 (5 Comments) By William Berkson In the previous post in this series, I sketched the history of Reform treatment of Mitzvot, concluding with Rabbi Richard Levy's A Vision of Holiness: The Future of Reform Judaism (URJ, 2005). In this book Rabbi Levy, who led the 1999 "Pittsburgh Principles" effort, rejects the traditional Reform distinction in the status of ethical and ritual mitzvot. As I wrote, I think the abolition of this distinction is a spectacularly bad idea. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Ethics | Jewish Living

Religulous an empty satire October 3, 2008 By Gardening Grandma Rosh HaShanah had been over for a few hours when I found myself at the Emelin Film Club  for a preview showing of Bill Maher's Religulous. Most of the time Maher, who didn't know about his mother's Jewish faith until he'd already decided to leave Catholicism behind, spends a lot of time on Jesus and Christianity, but gives Islam and Judaism short shrift. And of course, the only people he interviews--regardless of their faith--are those who are on the extreme edge. So there's not a Jew without payes in the movie. I'd been looking forward to seeing the movie, but I expected more than some laughs - no matter how good they are. I thought there might be some new insights, some hope that the movie would make fanatics think harder about their actions. Instead, it's Maher doing Maher. He is stuck in his view that organized religion is both absurd and terrifying, and, by ignoring anyone who isn't fanatical about their faith he deprives himself of understanding the role religion plays for the majority of people living in the 21st century. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Rabbi Bachman knocks it out of the park October 2, 2008 (3 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky (First published on The Reform Shuckle) I've said it before and I'll say it again: The man is a genius. Check out a transcript of Rabbi Andy Bachman's erev Rosh Hashanah sermon here. Here' an excerpt: Surrendering total control is never easy-especially as members of a synagogue community founded on principles that value the intellect over the experiential; the rational over the mysterious; Reform over Tradition. Of course, as we continually need to remind ourselves, the historical circumstances that founded this community in 1861 are quite different from those that demand action in the world today. Our membership, ever growing, comes from all walks of Jewish life-Reform, Conservative and Orthodox and non-Jewish life as well. I find that fewer people have an intellectual ax to grind with Tradition and Reform is not much more than: 1. a commitment to egalitarian values for men, women, gays and lesbians; 2. a rationalist and historical view of the authorship of Torah; and, 3. devotion to the principles of Tikkun Olam, Social Justice and Social Action. But "Reforming Judaism?" I've yet to encounter in my years here a single Jew who truly wants to Reform Judaism. After all, in humility, we could easily spend the next 50 years just figuring out what Judaism IS! read MORE Filed Under: Community | Holidays | Israel | Jewish Living

Assimilation and Its Discontents September 29, 2008 (1 Comment) By Gardening Grandma In its 40th anniversary issue, New York magazine takes a look at how Jews have been assimilated into New York and how, by doing so, have lost some of their identity. Contributing writer David Samuels writes: The ascendancy of the Jews of New York can be viewed as a Hollywood-style triumph, but it can also be read as the tragedy of a group of brilliant outsiders who remade a city in their own image, only to cut themselves off from the roots of their tribal genius, ensuring that the future will belong to the children of the new outsiders--Koreans, Indians, Russians, and Chinese. I'm not sure I agree that "success has ruined the New York Jew." I rather like feeling at home in the city. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Strengthening Reform 15: The Great Mitzvah Muddle September 26, 2008 (6 Comments) by William Berkson The latest expression of the principles of Reform Judaism is the six-page "Pittsburgh Principles" of 1999. The book A Vision of Holiness: The Future of Reform Judaism, by Rabbi Richard Levy, begins with this statement, and expands on it to explain it more fully. One of the questions that was put to focus groups concerned autonomy and mitzvot: "... It is a given that Jews have the autonomous right to choose what beliefs and practices will inform their lives, but for Reform Jews the hard question is the role of Torah and mitzvot in their lives." read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living | The Future

Strengthening Reform 13: Mordechai Kaplan and Reform September 14, 2008 (12 Comments) By William Berkson In the last post in this series, I looked at the ideas of one important thinker who has had an important influence on Reform Judaism: Martin Buber. Here I will look at another big influence on Reform in the 20th century, Mordechai Kaplan. Here are three key views of Kaplan. 1. Kaplan's religious naturalism. Classical Reform had been highly theistic, making a traditionally personal God and ethics almost the whole of Judaism. By contrast, Kaplan made God a personal sum of processes in Man that make for salvation, where 'salvation' means a better life both personally and socially--and 'better' means ethically and emotionally. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Honoring Fallen Soldiers September 5, 2008 (27 Comments) By Rabbi Eric Yoffie A rabbinic colleague recently sought my advice. Two congregants whose son had served as a doctor in a war zone had asked her to read from the bimah the names of American soldiers killed that week in Iraq. Should the congregation adopt this practice in conjunction with the recitation of Kaddish on erev Shabbat and Shabbat morning? Though she was sympathetic to the request, this rabbi feared that the practice might ignite a controversy. While most of her congregants opposed the war, those who supported it might interpret the reading of names as an act of protest against U.S. policy in Iraq. She didn't want the issue to divide the congregation or offend those who had come to say Kaddish for a loved one. What, she asked, would I recommend? read MORE Filed Under: By Rabbi Eric Yoffie | Jewish Living

Tribalism, Reform Judaism, Rites and Choices September 4, 2008 (19 Comments) By dcc Answer this question for me honestly: Do you, as an active Reform Jew, practice a Jewish tradition simply because that is what Jews have always done? Professor Carol Ochs writes in this week's d'var Torah that our portion teaches us that we can't "keep doing something just because we have always done it." I don't observe rituals simply because my parents do (or don't) observe them, but in all honesty my family's observance does inform my personal observance. And for that matter my community's observance plays a significant role in the formation of mine as well. But I can say with no doubt in my mind that I do not follow Jewish tradition simply because it is the way it has always been done. So why do we continue to practice the brit mila? read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle

Strengthening Reform: 12. Buber and Reform Judaism September 3, 2008 (7 Comments) By William Berkson  In the previous post in this series, I described one example of the approach that I think can greatly strengthen Reform Judaism. The key is better to support the sanctity of relationships, and in particular family relationships. And the way to do this is through studying and living the values of Torah and Talmud, supplemented by some of the insights of modern psychology. And the synagogue can be the center of a community that carries out this mission of sacred learning and family support.  My recommendation for Reform to focus on the sanctity of personal relationships of course owes a great deal to the great 20th century Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber.  Buber said that a central way we experience holiness is in I-Thou relationships. In these open and honest relationships we are not simply viewing the other person as a means (an I-it relationship), but are encountering them in a relationship in which both egos are to some extent merged in the I-thou interaction, even while keeping their identity. And we also experience a oneness with God in such interactions.  read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Keva, Kavanah, and Back to Keva August 25, 2008 By Larry Kaufman As part of introducing Mishkan T'filah at Beth Emet several months ago, Rabbi Peter Knobel gave us "permission" to wander away from whatever  the congregation was reading or singing, and to go anywhere else on the two-page spread that felt more comfortable, or for that matter, wherever our individual thoughts and prayers might lead us. In doing so, he reminded us that in a world where multi-tasking has become commonplace, we might very well be able to join our voices with the community, while our minds were somewhere else. I thought about this at Shabbat services, less than a year into our use of the new, yet by now taken-for-granted, siddur.  We know when and how to follow the liturgy on the printed page; and we know (since we are a worship group of regulars) when we will deviate from the text and follow from memory the lashon (language) and minhag (custom) of our former home-made prayer book. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat

Theological Summer Camp August 19, 2008 (7 Comments) By dcc David A.M. Wilensky, RJ.org blogger, Kutz Campus regular and liturgy-wonk, was a bit offended by yesterday's post from the Society for Classical Reform Judaism's Executive Director Rabbi Howard A. Berman. His post on the Reform Shuckle outlines and deconstructs the argument that the SCRJ is a vital and important aspect of present day Reform Judaism. My perusal of the rest of Rabbi Berman's post and of the Principles page of the SCRJ website leads me to believe that beyond [supporting] an increasingly outmoded aesthetic, there are no differences between SCRJ and the mainstream of the movement. Certainly the ideology the SCRJ labels Classical is no more than standard Reform ideology. While I am not sure which theological camp is right (or more to the point if any camp can be "right"), it does seem a bit out of place to go to the extremes that have often been supported in posts and comments this blog. My hope for the future of Reform Judaism is that we move past these broad stroke definitions and focus on our mandate to be the light onto the nations, have our youth see those vision and do justice while we walk humbly with our God. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | The Future

Kiev Revisited August 18, 2008 (3 Comments) By Larry Kaufman As regular readers of this blog may have noticed through my comments on other people's posts, I've recently returned from a river cruise through Ukraine -- fortunately arriving home before the Georgian crisis erupted -- and want to share some thoughts in three general areas: Differences between Jewish and secular travel The changes that appear to have taken place in Ukraine since my prior trip in 2001 Ukrainian roots for American Jews read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | The Future

Strengthening Clasical Reform August 18, 2008 (20 Comments) By Rabbi Howard A. Berman A number of comments in the current discussion on "Strengthening Reform" have referred to various dimensions of Classical Reform Judaism as an "early historic chapter" of our Movement's development, rather than a vital and viable position within the diverse religious community that the Union embraces today. As the Executive Director of the newly organized Society for Classical Reform Judaism, I trust that many readers of this blog saw our first full-page advertisement in the current issue of Reform Judaism Magazine, introducing this new alternative voice in the national Reform family. The SCRJ has been founded as a voice of advocacy for the preservation and creative nurturing of the historic progressive principles, rich intellectual foundations, and  beloved worship traditions of American Reform Judaism. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

RDS at DNC August 18, 2008 (2 Comments) By dcc This weekend Rabbi David Saperstein was asked by the Democratic National Committee to offer the Invocation on the night that Sen. Barak Obama accepts the nomination in Denver. Rabbi Saperstein joins a group of men and women come from across the country and from churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and organizations that are as diverse as the population of the United States. Frank Lockwood, an Evangelical blogger, writes that the "prayer line up that looks, demographically, a lot like America." To me this is the most interesting aspect of this "prayer line up." Regardless that these men and women of the cloth are leaders, and in some cases pioneers, they look like America. I suppose it is only fitting that when the Democratic Party nominates a man of African and American heritage, hailing from Hawaii via Kansas through New York, Boston and Chicago, rising from poverty into wealth, the people who offer prayers and words of faith during this nomination would also reflect America's growing diversity. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

I am a poem August 15, 2008 By David A.M. Wilensky Thursday's 10 Minutes of Torah are all about prayer and this week's by Rabbi Edwin C. Goldberg, was about the left-hand-side-of-the-page (not the mention the left of the ritual spectrum) reading on page 41 of Mishkan T'filah. The reading serves as an alternatative option for what our Reform liturgists have aptly termed Nisim B'chol Yom (daily miracles). In last week's edition, Rabbi Richard Sarason explained that the purpose of this collection of blessings is to bring a little kodesh (holy) into the chol (mundane) of our morning routines. Each one, with the exception of the three identity prayers, addresses a particular part of our morning, from waking up to putting on clothes all the way to the set of shorter blessings into Asher Yatzar, a prayer for going to the bathroom. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Forum on Decorum August 15, 2008 (3 Comments) By Larry Kaufman There is no question that the introduction of decorum in religious services was an important motivator in the early stages of Reform Judaism in Europe.  (The other key liturgical changes were worship in the vernacular, elimination of repetitions, addition of a sermon, and excision of "unacceptable" content - Messiah, resurrection of the dead, restoration of the Temple.) But what did the Reformers mean by decorum? read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Strengthening Reform 10: Synagogues and Families August 14, 2008 (6 Comments) By William Berkson In the last post in this series, I argued that Classical Reform took a wrong turn in rejecting the Talmud, and that this mistake led to the neglect of a key strength of Jewish tradition: rabbinic ethics. Fellow blogger Larry Kaufman argued, "I for one do not believe the health of our movement depends on our attitude towards the Talmud, but rather on our attitude towards our congregants." There is no doubt that good management both by clergy and lay boards are keys to the health of congregations. But there is more: what does the congregation do with and for its members? How does the congregation meet the needs of its members, and potential members? read MORE Filed Under: Community | Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Strengthening Reform: 9. Reform's Wrong Turn August 6, 2008 (18 Comments) By William Berkson Several on this forum have looked back to "Classical Reform" somewhat wistfully, admiring the clear sense of direction and the passion and confidence that Reform Judaism had in that period. And by implication, some feel that that clear direction is lacking now. And I agree. Yet the current muddle I believe has its roots in a fundamental mistake that was made during the Classical Reform period. The mistake was to throw the Talmud overboard. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Defining Reform | Jewish Living | Torah

Your bloggers will be my bloggers August 5, 2008 By David A.M. Wilensky I just got off the phone with my newest blogosphere friend, Avi Montigny, Project Coordinator of JewsByChoice.org. JBC, for those who have not yet had the pleasure of visiting the site, is a group blog written by a group of Jews of a variety of denominations, all of whom happen to be converts. The JBC blog has quickly become one of my favorites in a crowded field of Jewish blogs competing for my attention in my RSS reader every day. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

A Newer, Slower Kosher August 1, 2008 (1 Comment) By dcc Recently I have been reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which while partly polemical in its approach to local food consumption as opposed to what Pollan calls "the industrialized food chain," did a lot to reinforce my love of good, tasty, carefully created food. But it seems that I am not alone in this re-discovery. In the last week or so my local paper has dedicated significant front page real estate and bandwidth (complete with a new "Times Topic Page") to local and natural food movements. Many people are concerned by the number of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics fed to what becomes our food. We are beginning to ask why everything has the same five ingredients and most of the time we can't pronounce them. The inherent ignorance necessary to continue Pollan's industrialized food chain is coming to an end; people have decided they want to know what they are eating. read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

A Few Minutes More July 31, 2008 (20 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky Yesterday a post by Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman appeared on this blog titled "Ten More Minutes of Torah." It was a response to Lewis M. Barth's recent Ten Minutes of Torah for Masei, in which Barth argued that the current Haftarah cycle of three haftarot of destruction followed by seven haftarot of consolation suggest that Reform Judaism should reassess its relationship with Tishah B'Av. Rabbi Schwartzman's post expressed strong discomfort with this idea. Rabbi Schwartzman's first argument is typical of Reform Jews who are uncomfortable with even talking about the Temple in a Reform context. He tells us that, "Given the importance of the Temple in the Conservative and Orthodox movements, whether spiritually or practically, we Reformists would do well to consider exactly what we would be tying onto ourselves were we to adopt Tishah B'Av observances." read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living | Torah

Ten More Minutes of Torah July 30, 2008 (7 Comments) By Rabbi Joel R. Schwartzman In this week's comment on the parashat hashavuah (weekly Torah portion), in Ten Minutes of Torah, Professor Barth suggests that for the sake of the Haftarot that appear this time of year and are centered on Tishe B'Av (the Ninth of Av) that we in the Reform movement might re-consider observing this day as well.  While not a Classical Reformer myself and while I can appreciate the devastation that the destructions of the First and Second Temples meant to the Jewish people, I am not taken with the idea to instate this day into my Reform calendar. read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living | Torah

Kabbal-architecture July 29, 2008 (2 Comments) By dcc The most obvious of Kabbalah's modern influences is found in the form of red strings circling the arms of Hollywood celbs. However Alexander Gorlin, FAIA, principal of Alexander Gorlin Architects in New York and member of the Union's Architects Advisory Panel, explains that Kabbalah is a major influence in post-modern architectural styles. He writes in a recent edition of Faith & Form, the premier journal focusing on religion, art and architecture, that he often draws on Kabbalah for inspiration, infusing his synagogue designs with a traditional continuity that has been historically absent in Jewish architecture. As Jews were often expelled from one place to another, it was difficult for them to establish an authentic style of their own. This lack of a historic tradition of Jewish architecture, apart from Polish wooden synagogues, encouraged me to seek out texts of the Old Testament. Noah's Ark, the Tabernacle in the desert, the Temple of Solomon, and the prophet Ezekiel's Vision of the Temple are all described in great detail, including dimensions and materials. These are, however, literal descriptions, as opposed to the more abstract concepts from the Kabbalah, which are more open to interpretation in a modern sensibility. The article is very interesting and worth the read. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Your Place or Mine? July 21, 2008 (9 Comments) By Larry Kaufman You all know about the man from Mars who finds himself on Earth in front a deli, wanders in and begins scrutinizing the display case.  "What's that?" he asks the counterman, pointing to a ring of dough with a hole in the center.  "We call that a bagel," the counterman replies.  "And that?" pointing to an orange slab.  "That's smoked salmon, colloquially known as lox."  "You know what," the Martian says, "I'm going to try some of that lox on a bagel, and why don't you add a shmear of cream cheese." So what would the man from Mars make of Reform Judaism if he should happen to land on this blog?  He would find a chorus singing, "Give me that old-time religion - it was good enough for Einhorn and good enough for Kohler, and it's good enough for me, and should be good enough for you, too - universalistic, minimal Hebrew mumbo-jumbo, no middle-Eastern aspirations, no shtetl accoutrements around our shoulders or coverings on our head," or, as my cousin Miriam used to say, "Ve are vun-hundred pehrcehnt Omericans."  read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Foreign prophets, foreign songs July 14, 2008 (9 Comments) By David A.M. Wilensky Two summers ago, here at Kutz, a girls' cabin led services one day. As we all entered the tron, they were standing at the front singing and clapping their hands. The song goes like this: Lord, prepare me To be a sanctuary Pure and holy Tried and true With thanksgiving I'll be a living Sanctuary for you It's a nice song. The message is fairly basic and unobjectionable. The tune is catchy and sounds slightly gospel. I like it. Since then, I've also heard a variation that incoporates a quote from Torah, "V'asu li Mikdash, v'shachanti b'tocham" ("Build me a sanctuary and I will dwell amongst you"). I like that version even better. When people found out that this verse of song is actually part of a larger song from the wonderful world on contemporary Christian music, they went nuts. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat | Torah

A Shehecheyanu Moment July 9, 2008 (3 Comments) By Gardening Grandma We ate the first cucumber from my garden this weekend. I brought it into the house, washed it, cut off a large chunk and relished the crisp crunch of a totally delicious and sweet fruit of the vine. A true shehecheyanu moment, I thought, but, even more, I realize now, a moment to simply stop and realize what a blessing it is to have a garden and to be healthy enough to work in it. In an essay first published in Four Centuries of Jewish Women's Spirituality, Rabbi Laura Geller recalls the exhilaration she felt on learning about non-traditional berachot. I had never learned about all the occasions for a blessing -- new clothes, new fruit, seeing the ocean, seeing a rainbow; being in the presence of a scholar, on hearing good news or even bad news -- I was exhilarated! God is present at every moment; it is up to us to acknowledge God's presence. We do it through saying blessings. Rabbi Kravitz said, "There is no important moment in the lifetime of a Jew for which there is no blessing." read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Remembering What's Really Important July 9, 2008 (7 Comments) By JanetheWriter In an article in this week's Science Times Michael Bicks recounts the tale of his recent heart attack and how his decision to go straight to the hospital has enabled him to say, "I get to hug my wife and my kids, understand how wonderful my friends are and realize exactly how much I love my life." Amidst the hassles and demands of everyday living--the missed buses and missed deadlines, the packed lunches left sitting on the kitchen counter, the unrelenting phone calls and emails, the spilled coffee, the winding line in the grocery store--it's too easy to lose sight of the wonders and richness of hugging our spouse, valuing our friends and loving our life. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Summertime in the Mishkan July 3, 2008 (4 Comments) By Andi Rosenthal Since 1948, when my congregation was founded, we've had a tradition of layperson-led Friday night Shabbat services. While some people say that it is a lovely break for our clergy, it's a tradition that means a whole lot more than just a way to give our deserving rabbis and cantor the chance to rest and celebrate Shabbat in the company of family and friends. Summer services train new leaders, help congregants to strengthen and deepen their connection to liturgy, and in my case, just last Friday night, gave me the opportunity to understand and appreciate the breadth and depth of the new Reform prayer book, Mishkan T'filah. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Shabbat

Leslie Bass on Reform Judaism July 2, 2008 (1 Comment) By David A.M. Wilensky As readers of Reform Judaism magazine will recall, the RJ Magazine's summer 2008 issue included a series of important questions regarding the Reform Movement and their answers as given by 30 adult members of the Reform Movement. I'm currently at the URJ Kutz Camp with a group of people who will be the future lay and professional leadership of the Reform movement in North America. I'll be featuring many of them as well as many of the younger Kutz staff members this summer in a series of posts here on the RJ.org blog, in which I will be asking Reform high school and college students (and perhaps a few 20-somethings) for their take on Reform Judaism via questions similar to those used in the Magazine. Leslie Bass hails originally from Austin, Texas. This fall she will be a junior at the University of Denver, where she is a double major in Digital Media Studies and Journalism. This July, she will be travelling to Brisbane, Australia to study abroad at the Queensland University of Technology for five months. In high school, she was an active member of NFTY-TOR and board member of her local TYG. She attended the URJ Kutz Camp in the Summer of 2005 and spent the Summers of 2006 and 2007 as Kutz Camp staff. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Holidays | Jewish Living | The Future

Strengthening Reform: 3. God's Providential Care July 1, 2008 (2 Comments) By William Berkson In the last post in this series I explained why science will always leave the door open to belief in a God who gives unity and purpose to nature and to humanity, and a God, who, when we experience the sacred, can inspire us. But can God have the qualities of God as portrayed in the Torah and the Talmud? The most troubled question about God throughout most of Jewish history has been of God's Providence, or caring intervention in the world on behalf of individuals and groups, especially the people Israel. The Torah clearly reports (in Exodus and Deuteronomy) that at Sinai God promised us prosperity--a bountiful harvest--and children if we obey his laws, and horrible punishments if we don't. However, during the revolt of the Maccabees, many devout Jews were killed. This seemed to violate the covenant at Sinai. In reaction to this bitter experience, I have read, the Pharisee branch of ancient Judaism adopted the idea that we can only expect just reward and punishment in a future life after death, olam haba, the world to come. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living

Josh Levin on Reform Judaism June 30, 2008 By David A.M. Wilensky As readers of Reform Judaism magazine will recall, the RJ magazine's summer 2008 issue included a series of important questions regarding the Reform Movement and their answers as given by 30 adult members of the Reform Movement. I'm currently at the URJ Kutz Camp with a group of people who will be the future lay and professional leadership of the Reform movement in North America. I'll be using many of them as well as many of the younger Kutz staff members this summer in a series of posts here on the RJ.org blog, in which I will be asking Reform high school and college students (and perhaps a few 20-somethings) for their take on Reform Judaism via questions similar to those used in the magazine. Josh Levin lives in Sarasota, Florida.  He is a senior in high school.  This year Josh will be the Religious and Cultural Vice President for the North American Federation of Temple Youth's Southern Tropical Region. Josh has three summers of experience at the Kutz, NFTY's Campus for Reform Jewish Teens. Next year, he plans to attend the University of Florida. read MORE Filed Under: Israel | Jewish Living | Social Action | The Future

Comfortable June 30, 2008 (6 Comments) By Mary Hofmann I think comfort is based on a perception of competence . . . you can't feel comfortable when you don't understand what's going on and don't know how to act appropriately in a given environment.   People come to Judaism with great trepidation, intimidated by the enormity of what they don't know. Often worse, Jews born to Judaism but raised in a totally secular environment, feel even more intimidated by all they think they should know in their very genetic structure, and don't - so they stay away, embarrassed and defensive. We want to be welcoming, but the sheer amount of knowledge the aspirant lacks might well be forming an insurmountable wall for many. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | The Future

Edie Joseph on Reform Judaism June 27, 2008 (1 Comment) By David A.M. Wilensky As readers of Reform Judaism magazine will recall, the RJ magazine's summer 2008 issue included a series of important questions regarding the Reform Movement and their answers as given by 30 adult members of the Reform Movement. I'm currently at the URJ Kutz Camp with a group of people who will be the future lay and professional leadership of the Reform movement in North America. I'll be using many of them as well as many of the younger Kutz staff members this summer in a series of posts here on the RJ.org blog, in which I will be asking Reform high school and college students (and perhaps a few 20-somethings) for their take on Reform Judaism via questions similar to those used in the magazine. Edie Joseph currently lives in Gainesville, Florida. She grew up at URJ Camp Harlam, attended Kutz in 2005, and in 2007 received a Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel. She will be attending Yale University as a freshman in the fall. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Keep the simcha simple June 26, 2008 (2 Comments) By Mary Hofmann While I enjoyed reading the many perspectives of the contributors to Reform Judaism this month, I was truly saddened by the plight of Elise Silverfield May and those in her situation (which includes a whole lot of us, on a lot of levels!)--the perceived high price tag of being Jewish (page 61 or online here). Her particular alarm rang concerning the temple members' expectations around her son's upcoming bar mitzvah, which were terrifyingly grandiose.  This concern connects well with Rabbi Yoffie's comments at the Biennial regarding congregants reclaiming Shabbat morning services from the grip of private "parties."  If we don't want Reform Judaism to become increasingly about status and wealth, I believe this problem needs to be addressed both in terms of reclaiming both the sanctuary and the sanctity of the event.  I guess it has to do with the values established at each congregation--and all of our opportunities (and obligations?) to revision those values regularly. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle | Shabbat | The Future

God the Creator? June 26, 2008 (2 Comments) By Richard J. "Dick" Israel The grand panjandrum of this blog (aka the editor) has decreed that I post or be forever exiled. I must confess that up to now my contribution has been non-existent, but I attribute that to a lifelong (by now that's pretty long) notion I have indulged that those who speak the most have the least to say. That includes yours truly. Nonetheless, in all fairness to those who have been striving to enlarge lay contribution to the evolution of our otherwise clergy heavy Reform Judaism, let me strive to comply by exposing some stray ideas which have drifted through my thoughts recently. First, I tend to consider Reform Judaism as an association of generally like-minded Jewish people who can share religious worship and religiously derived social service activism with each other. That sharing includes financial as well as personal support to the best of each person's ability. I believe, also, in the utmost freedom of belief. I care not what any fellow Reform Jew believes, so long as we can worship together congenially. I care not what religious observances or practices any such fellow worshipper feels to be obligatory, optional or down-right silly, so long, of course, as that fellow worshipper accords me the same indifference. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Neo-Classical Reform Judaism June 26, 2008 (5 Comments) By dcc I have a conundrum: I consider myself a Classical Reform Jew. I do not view the mitzvot as a to-do (or to-don't) list. I feel connected to ethical regulations, while I have no desire to return to the Temple. I am a Kohen, but have publicly renounced my priesthood. However, I don't eat pork or shellfish at home. Reform, not Reformed, Judaism is fluid and over the years, the Movement has been in a constant state of flux, being true to this name. Some of our younger members have seen fit to return to traditions long regarded as out of date, while older members of our community remain Classical in their observance. I fall somewhere in between; I suppose I am a neo-Classical Reform Jew. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Jade Sank on Reform Judaism June 25, 2008 By David A.M. Wilensky As readers of Reform Judaism magazine will recall, the RJ magazine's summer 2008 issue included a series of important questions regarding the Reform Movement and their answers as given by 30 adult members of the Reform Movement. I'm currently at the URJ Kutz Camp with a group of people who will be the future lay and professional leadership of the Reform movement in North America. I'll be featuring many of them as well as many of the younger Kutz staff members this summer in a series of posts here on the RJ.org blog, in which I will be asking Reform high school and college students (and perhaps a few 20-somethings) for their take on Reform Judaism via questions similar to those used in the Magazine. Jade Sank is a 17-year-old recent high school graduate. In the fall she will attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. Jade was a member of NFTY-GER, serving as the 2007-2008 NFTY-GER Secretary. She attended the URJ Kutz Camp in the summer of 2006 and the Urban Mitzvah Corps in the summer of 2007. This summer, she is hard at work as a member of the Avodah staff of the URJ Kutz Camp. What has belonging to a congregation (or a Temple Youth Group or a Kesher group or going to a URJ camp etc.) that is part of the larger Reform Movement meant to you? Belonging to my congregation, my TYG, NFTY, Kutz, and Urban Mitzvah Corps has meant everything to me. My eyes have been opened by the millions of ways that I can get involved and make connections not only on a North American scale but a world scale. By becoming involved in many different ways I have achieved small goals that will eventually help the Reform Movement become stronger. The best part about being part of the larger movement is that through the small things I do, I will see the results on a larger scale. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Israel | Jewish Living | The Future

Strengthening Reform: 2. Science and God June 25, 2008 (3 Comments) By William Berkson In the first installment, I argued that Judaism shouldn't try to do without God, because then it will lack the power to inspire us.  That raises the question of whether modern science leaves open the door to God, to religion. There is still a strong movement that says science has superseded religion. This movement, known as "positivism" started with Auguste Comte (1798-1857). Comte had the theory that there were historical three stages in the development of understanding of the world: religious, then metaphysical, then scientific or "positive." Science should sweep aside all religious and metaphysical explanations, and scientific theories of society, in particular, would advance humanity to an ideal condition. Originally, the idea that the world consists only of "atoms and the void," and lacks any guiding purpose had been championed by the Epicurus (341-270 BCE). The Epicureans were unique in the ancient world in denying Providence--that God, or many gods, had a guiding influence on humanity. For that reason, the Jewish sages condemned them and said, "Know what to answer to an Epicurean." (Avot 2:19) Because there are leading scientists who still champion the idea that science has superseded religion, "knowing what to answer" is still a vital issue. read MORE Filed Under: Defining Reform | Jewish Living | Torah

Tallitot Talk with JanetheWriter June 24, 2008 (9 Comments) By JanetheWriter In today's Ten Minutes of Torah and in a recent blog post, Dr. Dvora Weisberg--briefly--and Larry Kaufman--more extensively--discuss tallitot.  Clearly, they are the topic of the day, reminding me of the first time I observed the commandment to l'hitateif batzitzit--wrap ourselves in the fringes. Although I was married, gainfully employed in the Jewish world and even an active member of a synagogue, I was thousands of miles from home and family, and often found myself alone--socially, spiritually, and emotionally.  Seeking community and acting on an ad I'd seen in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, I began to attend "Shabbat Resounds," the once-a-month, student-led Shabbat morning service at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Held in the lobby of the school's building, the service was filled with joyful worship and music, which, together with the sunbeams, did, indeed, resound into the unique architectural crevices of the space before bouncing back down to us. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living

Why Talitot June 23, 2008 (24 Comments) By Larry Kaufman It's the custom in our congregation for the person who presents the d'var Torah to pose questions for discussion by the kahal, the community. Leading the discussion on Shelach Lecha, I noted that this parashah includes the commandment to wear fringes, a commandment that was essentially negated in Reform Judaism by the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885, the negation remaining in force for well over a hundred years. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Torah

Taking back "Religious" and "Traditional" June 20, 2008 (20 Comments) By David Fair The Reform Movement in America is well over a hundred years old. In that time, our movement has developed and expanded many customs and ways of life that reflect a culture, rich with tradition and background. Yet it's a rare week when I don't hear one of our congregational leaders give a sermon where we are not compared to the more conservative movements of Judaism. What I hear the most is how we are justified in not following the Conservative and Orthodox customs of Kashrut, Shabbat, fasting holidays, and the like. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | The Future | Torah

Kashrut cleaning products? June 20, 2008 (1 Comment) By Bryan Freehling I began observing kashrut not when I converted to Reform Judaism thirteen years ago, but when I became a vegetarian almost three years ago. Although I considered observing kashrut upon becoming a Jew, my life partner of fifteen years who had kept kosher until he was 21, was not too amiable to that notion. However, after the passing of our beloved canine companion, Bella, both of us chose to become vegetarian. read MORE Filed Under: Ethics | Jewish Living

Of Covenantal and Other Special Relationships June 17, 2008 (3 Comments) By JanetheWriter Last week, I drafted--and ultimately scraped--a post for this blog because after it was written, I came to realize that not only was it much too personal for the vast world of cyberspace, but also, because I wrote it in anger after someone challenged my belief in the Jews' covenantal relationship with God, I wanted to give myself some time to reflect on what I was saying. Then I read the article in the New York Times quoting a letter from Abraham Foxman to Pastor John Hagee in which Foxman writes, "We look forward to meeting with you to promote a dialogue between Christians and Jews based on mutual respect, reconciliation and the recognition of God's eternal covenant with the Jewish people." Since Foxman raised the covenantal issue with Hagee, I've reconsidered my scraped post and, after a lot of thinking, I'm giving it another shot: read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living | Lifecycle | The Future

The Universe sent me a Shabbat message June 16, 2008 (3 Comments) By Wendy Nelson My daughter graduated from high school Saturday. The weather changed from cold and rainy to a sunny 80 degree day. The plague of cicadas awaited for 17 years and due to arrive by now were yet to emerge from the ground. I arrived early and got a front row seat knowing that I could not miss seeing my beloved child on this special day. It was Shabbat and all was right. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Holidays | Jewish Living | Lifecycle | Shabbat

Jewish-Muslim Dialogue June 14, 2008 (2 Comments) By Emily Grotta Michelle Boorstein of the Washington Post has been observing the dialogue between members of a synagogue and a mosque in the Washington area. She writes: Such dialogue is often a balancing act: hopeful yet guarded; genuine yet superficial; teetering on the precipice of the most emotional subjects but often stepping back. Rare efforts such as this one, which ended June 1, go beyond a single mass event and seek more depth and intimacy. read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | Social Action

On the Cusp of Two Branches June 11, 2008 (2 Comments) By Michael B. Snyder On the occasion of my second marriage, 20 years ago, I bound myself to a woman whose spiritual path had taken her from being born outside of Judaism, to Reform Judaism, to Conservative Judaism, and most recently to the Conservative rabbinate. My own background had been solidly within Reform Judaism up to our marriage. Having been exposed to Conservative Judaism through my wife, I have grown perhaps more traditional in my own practice than is the case for most Reform Jews. Thus I stand on the cusp of those two branches of the tree of American Judaism. read MORE Filed Under: Jewish Living

Kabbalist to hot-dog vendor: one with everything June 10, 2008 (2 Comments) By Laurance Kaufman My rabbi used to tease me about being a Litvak.  Having read Y. L. Peretz, I knew this was not an ethnic pigeon-holing; it was a character assessment.  It was Peretz's Litvak who scoffed when the townspeople explained the rebbe's mysterious disappearance early each Elul morning by saying he was visiting Heaven.  Only a Litvak would have followed the rebbe to see where he really went.  And perhaps only a Litvak,  discovering that the rebbe was disguising himself as a peasant and  gathering firewood to see an impoverished elderly widow through the winter, would have commented the next time the townspeople talked about the rebbe going to Heaven, "If not higher." read MORE Filed Under: Community | Jewish Living | The Future

Marking Jewish Time June 6, 2008 (5 Comments) By JanetheWriter Today is the 47th day of the counting of the omer.  And, although I do not possess David A.M. Wilensky's "hyper-awareness of Jewish time," I do, in my own way, mark Jewish time. As much a part of my growing up as lighting Hanukkah candles and fasting on Yom Kippur was the pilgrimage my mother, my grandmother and I made each summer to Beth David Cemetery in Elmont Queens.  read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living | Lifecycle

When am I? June 5, 2008 By David A.M. Wilensky I was born on the third day of the month of March in 1989. Much to the eternal dismay of my mother, I celebrated the nineteenth anniversary of that occasion on the twenty-seventh day of the month Adar of this year, 5768. This decision was one of several that I made over the last year that have led me to know always exactly when I am. I'll explain. At the end of August of last year I left my home of Austin, Texas to go to college at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Aside from the usual freedoms you might think of when you think of going off to college, I discovered a particular ritual freedom I hadn't quite thought of before. Of course at home no one stopped me from shuckling in synagogue, though it often garnered a few rather conspicuous glances from other congregants. No one stopped me from standing through the entire Amidah. I even met little resistance at home to the idea of wearing a talit katan every day. But, now, in college, not only could rituals be what wanted, they could be when I wanted. read MORE Filed Under: Holidays | Jewish Living

Expectations and Obligations June 5, 2008 (