A Tribute to Debbie Friedman, Who Helped Me Understand and Love Judaism
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published on January 13, 2011, immedately following the death of beloved Jewish musician Debbie Friedman, z"l. How did Debbie Friedman's music impact your life?
Visiting Beit Shemesh, Where Religious Extremism Still Lives
Last month I visited Beit Shemesh, a city less than an hour’s drive from Jerusalem. We had read about some of the most noteworthy incidents there, such as when a young girl was spat on by an ultra-Orthodox extremist on her way to school.
How Living in Switzerland Taught Me About Anti-Jewish Bias
During the height of the recession, I moved to Switzerland. I had already lived in France, Japan, India and Israel, and traveled much of the rest of the world.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" and Judaism: What's the Connection?
"Folk song calls the native back to his roots and prepares him emotionally to dance, worship, work, fight, or make love in ways normal to his place." Alan Lomax, Folk Songs of North America
The Torah In Haiku: Bo
At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.
A Letter to Dan Snyder, Owner of Washington, D.C.'s Football Team
[Editor's Note: This letter by Rabbi Michael Feshbach and Josh Silver was sent to Dan Snyder, owner of Washington, D.C.’s professional football team, on December 23, 2013.]
Dear Mr. Snyder:
From My Israeli Kitchen: Techina Cookies
In New York, a Glimpse of Middle East Peace
It was 11 o'clock on a chilly September night and I was coming home from a gig - my first in New York City. I had just moved to Manhattan from Jerusalem a couple of months before to become a professional jazz bass player and would take any job I could get.
What If? One Family's BRCA Mutation Story
Last month, in the midst of staffing the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial Convention in San Diego, I ran into a friend of my mom’s.