Related Blog Posts on Jewish Ethics, RJ Magazine, and Spirituality

people hugging
Talk for a Change

Staying Connected with Our Loved Ones Even When we Disagree 

Rabbi Toby H. Manewith
Rachel Margolis, RJE
Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7th and Israel’s ongoing response has stirred emotions both within and outside the Jewish community. Over the next weeks, as family and friends gather for holiday celebrations, there may be differences of opinion. Here are a few tips from Jewish sources to help maintain loving relationships while disagreeing.
Person wearing a purple prayer shawl and holding a prayer book
Rosh HaShanah

The URJ Reflection Project: Go Deeper on “The Spiritual”

Rabbi Esther L. Lederman
Rabbi Leora Kaye
As part of the URJ Reflection Project, a new set of offerings and experiences for the High Holidays in a time of social distance, we’ve also developed three short essays that allow you to go deeper into the essence of Jewish wisdom that grounds these rituals. 
Small silhouette of a person standing against the night sky as if to represent the enormity of the universe
Jewish Values

My Big Question: God, The Milky Way, Miracles, and More

Richard Reiss
The enormous question for me, then, has always been: Is God watching? When I began to understand computers, I realized that, yes, one thing could follow billions of people if those people were nothing more than data points on a revolving planet with polar icecaps.
Ornate gold hamsas on a black background
Spirituality

Kabbalah, Tarot, and Delving into Mystical Judaism

C.E. Harrison
Some Jews have extended their mystical journey into the world of tarot – like Heather Mendel, a Jewish mystic, author, artist, and speaker who has spent her life exploring this connection and has written extensively about it.
Sad woman sitting on a wooden floor holding her head in her hands as if in grief
COVID-19

Distancing Closeness: A New Way of Mourning

Rabbinic Pastor/Cantor Lisa L. Levine
Gathering in grief gives us a window into the blessings of life. Jewish tradition does this so well – which makes it all the more difficult to cope with loss in the time of COVID-19.