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.
Somebody’s Hurting Our People: Children, Women, and People with Disabilities in Poverty
To be an American Jew is to live in the clutch of a persistent values tension.
A Week of Trauma and Triumph
On the same day the U.S. embassy opened in Jerusalem, more than 60 Palestinians lost their lives at the Gaza border. How can we bring balance to these disparate events?
Death Penalty and the Talmud: A Message for New Hampshire Legislators
Earlier this Spring, the New Hampshire state legislature voted to abolish the death penalty, which would make NH the 20th state to put an end to capital punishment.
Feeling the Power of Collective Voices: Attending my First Commission on Social Action Meeting
I'm excited to build on the connections I made with other CSA members and share what I've learned with other WRJ members and members of my own congregation.
Wrestling with Torah and More on the Way to Adult B'nai Mitzvah
In the process of becoming b’nai mitzvah, adult students grapple, struggle, and wrestle, and in the end, always bring Torah to life and life to Torah.
Somebody’s Hurting Our People
We cannot pretend that these enormous gains for the few are not creating massive suffering and dangerous resentment among the many.