How to Live Jewishly Where There Are Few Jews
It is not easy to be Jewish in a remote area in which Jews are a minority and there are no nearby Jewish communities, but we did the best we could.
It is not easy to be Jewish in a remote area in which Jews are a minority and there are no nearby Jewish communities, but we did the best we could.
In building the ramp, we felt we had been true to the Talmudic maxim Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh Bazeh, “All Jews are responsible for one another."
For more than 50 years, High Holiday sermons were consequential both for the rabbi and the congregation. Why has the Reform preaching tradition waned?
A former synagogue member wondered, “How would being a member make my life better or different?” Even as a congregational rabbi, I admit that I struggled to answer her question.
Connecting with others can be awkward, so we seek out people like us. This strategy can limit our experiences and cut us off from others across lines of difference.
Every successful Jewish organization is jointly supported by both professional leaders and lay leaders, all working to serve the community’s members.
After the nation moves on, we will be left to pick up the pieces. Fortunately, this is a very strong and capable Jewish community, blessed to be led by incredible rabbis.
There aren’t many people out there willing to uproot their entire lives to relocate to Dothan, Alabama. Read what prompted one family to do just that.
The rabbi invited me to help with hagbah, an honor usually reserved for a strong man because some scrolls are extremely heavy – and the last thing anyone wants is for a Torah scroll to fall or be dropped.
With serendipity, I stumbled upon my youth Hebrew school lessons of pikuach nefesh, the concept of saving a life. It's our obligation to save lives whenever possible, even above observing the mitzvot or commandments.