A Blessing for Going Off to Summer Camp
Every year we venture back to the place we were before
And though our lives may differ we share a bond forever more
All year we sit in classrooms and we have to wonder why
Our summers are so special at OSRUI.
Remembering From Where We Come: A Prayer for the LGBT Community
This piece of liturgy was originally written for the interfaith prayer service held prior to Los Angeles Pride Parade.The prayer memorializes those who have employed the various ways individuals can and have made a difference in promoting justice for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Unless You Know: A Poem for Yom HaShoah
Unless you know
what it is to look
at black & white proof
at lambs led to slaughter
at herds of the lost
Podcast: Why Marriage Equality is a Reform Jewish Value
Hear why marriage equality is a Reform Jewish value.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Tazria: Where and How Do We Heal?
This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs teaches us from Parashat Tazria in the book of Leviticus, asking where we start when we need healing.
Four ways to tune in:
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Metzora: Shabbat HaGadol
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, wonders if asking questions during a Passover seder is a religious mandate, or if it is actually demanded of us, and whether eating kosher for Passover bagels is really in the spirit of the holiday.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Pesach
Passover means matzah, and this week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, talks about how, love it or hate it, eating the “bread of affliction” might actually teach us about empathy.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Special Edition: the Jewish Calendar
In this week's special edition of On The Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, talks about the Jewish calendar, including how we mark time and how we find meaning.
Three ways to listen:
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Acharei Mot II: The Boundaries of Innovation
Passover may have just ended, but it’s not too early to talk about Yom Kippur and second chances. This week, Rabbi Rick Jacobs talks about making mistakes and the sometimes-negative consequences of innovation.
Four ways to tune in:
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - Vayigash: Putting Judah in Judaism
Do you ever wonder why Judaism is called Judaism? This week’s parashah, Vayigash, has an answer. This is the moment when Joseph and his brothers, including Judah, dramatically reconnect, and Judah demonstrates a deep caring for his people.