The Power of Shabbat, Even Over the Loudspeaker
Even as structure and routine begin to crumble, ritual observances don’t stop for the virus. As did many generations of Jews before us, we must adapt ritual to this unprecedented way of life, and Shabbat services, a mainstay for nursing home residents, necessitated creative adaptation.
Shabbat as Alternate Time, Especially During the Pandemic
Friday’s sunset could be no different than Thursday’s, a time marker notching off another day or another week, but Shabbat requires us to mark a more substantial difference, Regularity is key to keep track of our lives between other Jewish times and when days blur into each other.
Remembering Victims of Gun Violence: Join the National Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat
Tragically, 2017 has been a particularly deadly year for gun violence. Partner with us in the struggle to prevent gun violence – join the National Gun Violence Prevention Shabbat.
Read Rabbi Rick Jacobs' D'var Torah to the URJ Biennial 2017
This d'var Torah for Parashah Vayeishev was presented before the 74th Union for Reform Judaism Biennial convention on Saturday, December 9.
Cultivating a Culture of Inclusion: April Baskin's Remarks to the URJ Biennial 2017
As the Vice President of Audacious Hospitality, I deeply believe that every person should have a community where they feel fully supported and unconditionally accepted. One they can count on to be there for them over the course of their lives.
How One Congregation Responded to the California Fires with a Huge Shabbat Dinner
I was honored to have been asked to help people in need, and I love that our synagogue is always giving back to our community. This overflowing lovingkindness is the true meaning of being Jewish.
Parashat D’varim: Escaping my Comfort Zone
Eventually, I felt as if The Holy Blessed One had nudged me out of my rest, telling me that I’d stayed there long enough: that my destiny as a Jew awaited me.
A Shabbat Picnic Showed Me Jerusalem’s Diversity
On a recent Shabbat, I spent the time with friends in the park. Within a few steps of our blanket, we watched people from every corner of Jerusalem spend the afternoon.
What Being a Practicing Reform Jew Means to Me
When an acquaintance asked me: “Are you a practicing Jew?” I answered “Yes,” but the question got me thinking about what it means to be a practicing Jew.
Hope for Independence and Peace for All
On Shabbat a group from Physicians for Human Rights Israel, the only Israeli non-profit allowed to enter Gaza, goes to the West Bank to offer a mobile medical clinic.