If Not Now, When?
Our sage, Rabbi Hillel, asks, "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" (Ethics of the Fathers 1:14)
The Torah In Haiku: D'varim
Deuteronomy
Stories are being retold
With some changes made
The final Book of Torah is a sort of summary of what's come before. But it often seems that in the retelling by Moses, some details have changed.
An Absence of Color and Light: A Poem for Tishah B'Av
We sat among the willows,
and we wept,
there by the river
that flowed
clear and cold and swift,
--branches dancing,
barely dancing--
as they swayed
and swept the ground.
We stood among the weeping trees,
Prayers mixed with
visions of ash.
Can Faith Help Us Find Healing and Forgiveness in the Wake of the Trayvon Martin Case?
As President Obama said, the jury has spoken. The case has concluded. One side won, and another side lost. Yet, no one is happy. A 17-year-old boy is dead. Grieving parents will never be the same. What now?
Profiling the First Generation of Transgender Rabbis
Demand Legal Protection: It's Okay to Be Gay at Work
Rachel Laser, Deputy Director of the Religious Action Center, writes in the Washington Post's "On Faith" column on the recent Committee passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the fight for LGBT workplace equality ahead.
Why I Don't Mourn the Temple
My son’s birthday is in July. Last year, we sent out invitations to his bunkmates for a typical kindergartener’s birthday bash - pizza and ice cream cake at a moon-bounce place.
Catastrophe in America: Racism, Violence, & Tishah B'Av
I had a friend in college named Ray. He was a good guy. He had a lot of the qualities I thought I lacked when I was in college. Ray was good looking, athletic and charismatic. He was a running back on the school's football team.
The Work That Awaits Us
Last night, for the first time ever, I attended a Tishah B’Av study session – a joint venture between my own Temple Shaaray Tefila and O
The Fight for Equality: A Life-Changing Experience in Alabama
URJ Mitzvah Corps connects Reform Jewish teens with immersive social action opportunities across North America.