Galilee Diary: Sustainability
When the Holy One Blessed be He created the first humans, he showed them all the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to them: See how wonderful and pleasant are my creations! Everything I created – I created for you.
Cause for Celebration in Israel: Tu B'Av, the Jewish Festival of Love
When I moved to Israel, it was easy for me to forgo some of the holidays that I grew up with in America that I knew had a distinctly non-Jewish origin. It was also a pleasant surprise to discover other holidays here that unite Israelis across the spectrum – such as Tu B’Av, also known as the festival of love.
Galilee Diary: Balancing act
Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid… -Micah 4:4
A Prayer for Peace in the Aftermath of Terror
by Rabbi Joe Black On Sunday evening, I participated in a prayer vigil at the Aurora Civic Plaza. Many people from around the country saw the proceedings live on national television. From my perspective, sitting on the dais, the scene was somewhat surreal.
Growing Up is Hard to Do
My fiancée and I recently joined a congregation about a block from our home. We went to the new member Shabbat, were called by the rabbi, welcomed by members and Abby (my future bride) was called this morning to read an aliyah on Rosh HaShanah.
Munich Massacre Memorial Prayer
Here is a memorial prayer for the 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre.
A Mother’s Love on Her Son’s Bar Mitzvah Day
Thoughts From My First Selichot Service
I came to the 11 pm Selichot Service at Beth Emeth in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday night at the suggestion of Rabbi Grumbacher during Torah study. I came frankly, out of curiosity and to see if I could stay awake at that
Tishah B'Av: Words and Visions
Rabbi Oren Hayon teaches: "Reading Deuteronomy is a very different experience from reading the rest of Torah.
My First Trip to Israel as President of the URJ
I just returned from a whirlwind two-week trip to Israel, my first as the president of the URJ. It was truly a packed schedule, thanks to the incredible teamwork of our hard-working staff here in North America and in Israel. As promised, I want to share with you a few stories of my time there.