Wholly Jewish: Grace: Breaking Down the Gates of Queer Judaism
Wholly Jewish: Dara: From Parliament to the Bimah
Hosted by Jewish performance and ritual artist Shira Kline (she/her), a.k.a. ShirLaLa, this season features interviews with LGBTQIA+ Jews from the Union for Reform Judaism's JewV'Nation Fellowship.
What’s the Difference Between the Secular and Jewish New Year?
What is the Jewish expression to refer to someone who has died?
In Judaism, when someone has died, it is customary to add the expression, “May their memory be for a blessing” after mentioning the deceased by name.
Building the Temple
I Want to Observe Shabbat. Where do I Begin?
The best way to begin observing Shabbat is by starting small and adding to your Shabbat observance as you grow more comfortable. If you are interested in ritual, try learning the blessings of the Shabbat table.
Why do some people include an orange on the seder plate?
Many have incorporated new rituals as part of the Passover seder. Many seder plates include an orange, which is attributed to Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth College. Heschel included an orange in recognition of gay and lesbian Jews, and others who are marginalized in the Jewish community.
Do we do anything special because seder falls on a Friday night this year?
When the seder falls on Friday evening, we acknowledge both Shabbat and the holiday of Passover.
Does listening to a podcast count as study? Is it OK to say the blessing if I’m listening to commentary without reading or hearing the Torah portion?
Listening to the podcast definitely counts as Torah study. It’s an opportunity to learn a bit of Torah and start to think about the weekly Torah while also incorporating some modern-day thinking into the traditional message.
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of Torah - P'kudei: The Individual and the Collective
What is the difference between individual spiritual experiences and collective experiences? Is one more powerful than the other? And, if so, what does that mean? Rabbi Rick Jacobs teaches how Parshat Pikudei highlights what can happen when communities become holy.