The Remarkable Growth of Reform Judaism in Spain
I have been going to Spain every year since 2008 in order to help Bet Shalom in Barcelona, a small nascent Reform congregation, with its programs and religious services.
The Binding: A Prayer for Rosh Chodesh and Women of the Wall
I was proud to have been at a Rosh Chodesh service yesterday morning in Chicago, IL. I was proud to have been asked to help lead the service, proud to don my tallit and stand before a congregation of people who had come together to pray, celebrate, and sing.
Shabbat and the Blessing of Family
As a teenager in Flint, MI, most of my peers spent their Friday evenings at the movies with friends or at high school football games. When I told my friends why I couldn't join them, they were flabbergasted.
Praying Without a Prayerbook: A "Hands Free" Shabbat
The Jewish prayerbook — the siddur — is a rich and dense work.
Vodou Rock and Cherry Manischewitz: Reflections of a Jew Visiting Haiti
At the last count of the World Jewish Congress in 1997, there were 25 Jews living in Haiti. There is no native Jewish population to speak of in what is currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Where I'm From: A Poem on Identity
I am from blintzes, from Crest toothpaste and kippot tucked into a dresser drawer.
I am from no eating in the bedrooms, singing all the time, comfy couches, a grandfather clock on the wall and challah French toast.
Finally Finding My Way to Judaism, the Faith That Beckoned
I was born into a Catholic family and given a Catholic education, but for as long as I can remember, Judaism has always fascinated me.
The Fate of France is Entwined with the Fate of its Jews
The kosher supermarket was chosen deliberately. Men, women and children were shopping and preparing for Shabbat.
The Song of the Sea and Shabbat Shirah
Shabbat Shirah is on January 30th this year, and is another name for the week we read the Torah portion called B'shalach. In this portion, the Israelites have just been freed from Egypt and we read about the splitting of the Red Sea.
Does God Care What We Wear or Where We Pray?
There was a time when attending Shabbat services meant dressing up: suits and ties for men, dresses for women.