What Matters Most to You at the End of Life?
Ninety percent of people say that talking with loved ones about end-of-life care is important, yet only 27% have done so. Have you had this conversation?
To See Spirituality Every Day, Look to Martin Buber's Teachings
Spirituality thrives in homes, offices, and synagogues, hiding in plain sight -- in small talk, and in extended conversations. Jewish thinker Martin Buber called this spirituality “I-Thou.”
Ethical Demands Are Essential for Israel's Success
For most Israelis, Jewish identity is primarily national, ethnic, or ceremonial, while ethical values are seen as obligations for all, with no connection to Judaism.
Vetting Vashti: A Megillah-Inspired Missive
We write to you on behalf of an Iranian asylum seeker by the name of Vashti. The circumstances under which she has become a “displaced person” are as follows.
The New Wave of Anti-Semitism: Lest We Forget
Learning and knowing – the truth and the facts – is the first step to living and acting responsibly. I offer the following poem as one more means to keep the flame of memory and truth ignited.
Justice Delayed: Fighting for LGBT Rights in Israel
Together with the Israeli Gay Fathers Association, we filed a petition with the Israeli Supreme Court to demand action. All the while, we have been pressuring the Ministry of Welfare to carry out its mandate.
4 Ways to Start Planning a Congregational Retreat
My congregation's annual retreat fills the I-didn’t-go-to-camp void in my Jewish experience. Held at URJ Camp Harlam, a two-hour drive from home, it’s close enough for the weekend, but far enough away that we’re not tempted to go home for other events, allowing me to celebrate Shabbat in a way I don’t usually do.
Book Discussion: Houses of Study - A Jewish Woman Among Books
One of my favorite activities to bring to a classroom of elementary school-aged religious school students is a deceptively simple art project: "Draw a Jew." Easy, no? In fact, I encourage you to do so, even just in your own mind, as you read these words. What does a Jew look like to you?
Galilee Diary: Gedaliah
by Marc Rosenstein
(Originally published in Ten Minutes of Torah and Galilee Diary)
Galilee Diary: Sukkah season
You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God. -Leviticus 23:42-43