If Anne Frank Had a Gun
I am often asked why Jews went like sheep to the slaughter during the Holocaust. The question falsely assumes it was possible to resist, but Jews failed to do so.
The Amidah of the High Holy Days - Sovereignty and Forgiveness
The Amidah for the High Holy Days features thematic additions for the Days of Awe. One significant addition on Rosh Hashanah is “M’loch” – a prayer that celebrates the coronation of God as the Ultimate Ruler.
The Music of the Rosh HaShanah Amidah
Each year as I prepare for the High Holy Days, I return to the familiar melodies that make up our Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services.
How Jewish Burials are Actually Green Burials, Too
I feel that it is time that we, as rabbis and as a Jewish community, begin to speak more about the environmental advantages of a traditional Jewish burial.
6 Ways French President Macron's Holocaust Speech Was Groundbreaking
It wasn't the first time that a French president acknowledged his nation's Holocaust-era guilt, but Emmanuel Macron's speech Sunday was nonetheless groundbreaking in format, content, and style.
Why Federal Court Rulings that Favor Trans Students are so Important
On May 30, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals issued a groundbreaking ruling in favor of Ashton Whitaker, the transgender student plaintiff in Whitaker v.
Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity Raises Questions
Since the establishment of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity led by Vice President Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Republicans and Democrats have questioned the commission’s true purpose.
The ABCs of Processing a Year as My Synagogue's President
The ABCs I use as a career coach to help clients self-reflect are the same ones I’m using to evaluate my first year as my synagogue’s president.
What Cantors Do to Get Families to Services… and Why
Once the High Holidays are over, I’m often left wondering what we can we do to get people back into the sanctuary before the next Rosh HaShanah rolls around.
Emmy Nominees, Radiohead, and an Uber Baby: This Week's Light-Hearted Jewish Headlines
What Jewish (or Jew-ish) news are you reading this week? Here’s a look at a few of the stories that are making us smile.