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.
An Ode to the Tastes of Home
One smell always takes me home: Montreal smoked meat. Smoky, salty, peppered, and spicy, the marbled charcuterie draws me in like nothing else.
Avinu Malkeinu and the New Reform Machzor (Mishkan HaNefesh)
Many years ago, during the Yom Kippur morning service, a certain rabbi was interrupted (albeit politely) by the oldest member of the synagogue. He asked if he could ascend the bimah and ask the rabbi a question. How could the rabbi say no?
The Music of Avinu Malkeinu
In the game “Truth-or-Dare,” I choose “truth” nearly every time. I’m not much of a dare-taker. Thus, if you and I were playing “Special Edition Truth-or-Dare: High Holy Days,” I would confess that the prayer Avinu Malkeinu provides me with both my second-favorite liturgical moment and my second-greatest pet peeve of the year’s liturgy. (Note: Even though I may have to repent for it, I will leave you in suspense about my favorite liturgical moment and my greatest liturgical pet peeve. Also, “Special Edition Truth-or-Dare: High Holy Days” is fictional, although I hereby declare copyright in the event Mattel or Hasbro comes knocking at my door.)
The Shofar Service: Malchiyot, Zichronot, Shofarot
The blowing of the shofar is surely one of the high points of the Rosh Hashanah morning service. But the “Shofar Service” as the discrete entity we know today is actually a creation of Reform liturgists. Located at the end of the Torah service, before the Torah is returned to the ark, and including the three sections of Malchiyot (biblical verses dealing with God’s Sovereignty), Zichronot (biblical verses dealing with God’s Attentiveness), andShofarot (biblical verses dealing with the sounding of the Shofar), this is a synthesis of two different pieces of traditional liturgy
The New Reform Machzor and the Shofar Service
The traditional High Holy Day prayer book, as opposed to the Reform versions produced in the last century and more, includes a service, musaf, that evokes the ancient sacrifices. Reform Judaism abandoned this service, due to its musty connotations of “barbarian” rites but a key element of this service on Rosh Hashanah, the sounding of the shofar was maintained. Sounding of the shofar was retained no doubt because the very essence of Rosh Hashanah is bound up in the peal of the shofar. Can you imagine Rosh Hashanah without it
9 Things to Consider When Creating an Inclusive Security Plan
After several synagogue shootings, American Jews are grappling with the need to keep our communities safe and to remain open and welcoming to seekers of all backgrounds.
We sent a letter to Congress on why adding a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census is a bad idea
On Friday, April 20, the RAC joined with 9 other Jewish organizations to send a letter to Congress, urging them to hold oversight hearings immediately on Secretary of Commerce Wilbu
Defending the State of Israel, One Kiddush at a Time
Even with support of other IDF volunteers, Basic Training was stressful, demoralizing, and chaotic. Why, then, did I volunteer to lead Kiddush at a Shabbat dinner?
Finding the Opportunity in Crisis
Days after the shooting in Parkland, a congregant asked me to go to the high school with her to offer a prayer. My encounter there helped me and my community turn crisis to opportunity.