My Passover seder this year was spent in the company of the small Reform Jewish community in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Relationship Between Prayer and Your Imagination
When the words of liturgy are taken too literally, the sacred power of prayer is often lost. In his latest book, Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman offers a way worshipers can transcend the limitations imposed by language.
Earth Day is Coming: Why Should Jews Care?
For many North American Jews, Passover marks the "official" start of spring. As the weather warms, many are taking the opportunity to walk instead of drive, breathe some (not totally frigid) fresh air, and explore the world around us. We are also celebrating the 45th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22
Save a Life, Save the World: My Experience Helping to End Malaria
As World Malaria Day approaches on April 25, I have been reflecting on how much I have learned and accomplished as a Religious Action Center and Nothing B
Does Don Draper Want to Be Jewish?
In the weeks before the beginning of the final season of Mad Men, the show’s creator Matthew Weiner did rounds
The Rose Haggadah - Ancient Technique, Modern Sensibility
Each year the ancient story of Passover is told through the Haggadah, "the telling" of the story.
I Remember: A Poem for Yom HaShoah
I remember the absence of sound,
deeper than silence
and more lonely,
like the moment just
before Creation,
all stretched and
attenuated, waiting,
except there was no time
to measure
eternity,
so waiting was
Now.
How Social Media Helps Me Keep Track of Jewish Time
When someone asked a friend of mine what his daughter enjoys most about living in Israel, he explained that she loves the way the country’s secular rhythms synch seamlessly with religious time in a way that doesn’t happen in North America. By way of example, he described Shabbat and holidays as characterized by closed shops, quiet streets, and low-key television programming.
Equal Pay Day and Jewish Values: Paying Fair Wages Is a Matter of Justice
Today we celebrate Equal Pay Day, the symbolic day in the new year until which women would have to work to earn what their male counterparts earned in the previous year.
Jascha Heifetz: God’s Fiddler
Jascha Heifetz: God’s Fiddler, Peter Rosen’s film portrait of the late violin virtuoso Jascha Heifetz airs on the PBS “American Masters” series, April 16 & 17.