My boys are making forts using all the pillows in the house. They strong-armed my husband into setting up our camping tent outside, and they sit there as the day grows hot.

Now, as restrictions begin to lift, we are faced once again with how to conduct our worship in meaningful ways. Just because our synagogues can be open does not necessarily mean that they should be.

A classmate recently snapped a photo of a billboard promoting Israel’s right-wing Yachad party that read: “So there won’t be a child with a father and a father!”

The Reform Jewish Movement is encouraged to see the House prioritizing issues directly impacting the lives of LGBTQ+ Americans, but the Senate has yet to consider the Equality Act or LGBTQ+ provisions in a COVID-19 response bill. That is where we, as a people committed to social justice, have a role to play. 

How can ordinary people get reliable information about the pandemic in order to assess their risk and make informed decisions? We sat down (remotely) with Baruch Fischhoff, a noted expert in risk assessment.

"Blessed are people and everything they do. / Our world goes around on the back of their Torah.?

When I turned 30 a few months ago, I had no idea that COVID-19 and cancer would disrupt my life so violently, but I have discovered an opportunity to reorient my life toward the intangible sparks that make life worth living: love, kindness, amazement, and gratitude.

This week, as we read the call to proclaim liberty throughout the land, as those in the Land begin to emerge from isolation, our freedoms are still limited. It is up to us to use this moment as a reset, a Jubilee, a chance to re-evaluate what we should hold dearest.  To ensure that we are truly free, we must actualize the freedom of all the inhabitants of the Land.

We at the Israel Religious Action Center are eternal optimists.

During this time of social isolation, when we cannot physically be together, we are continuing to think about and plan for the day after.