Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw
In her memoir, Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw (New American Library), food writer Elissa Altman, who also wrote Poor Man’s Feast, deftly uses kashrut – Judaism’s dietary laws – to portray, both literally and symbolically, the toxic relationships in her dysfunctional Jewish family.
The House by the Lake: One House, Five Families, and a Hundred Years of German History
On the outskirts of Berlin lies the charming lakefront community of Groß Glienicke, where locals and summer visitors enjoy swimming, boating and fishing. Nestled among the medieval village’s structures is the lake house where author Thomas Harding’s grandmother once lived.
Zionism: The Birth and Transformation of an Ideal
Author Milton Viorst wants to know how Theodor Herzl’s vision of a Jewish refuge for a beleaguered people became “a military power where peace and security was thought about exclusively within a military framework.”
A Horse Walks into a Bar
A snail is attacked by a couple of tortoises. When later questioned by the police, the bewildered mollusk replies, “It all happened so quickly.” Here’s another: There is this man whose parrot is excessively foul-mouthed.
Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution
In her graphic novel, Soviet Daughter: A Graphic Revolution, Julia Alekseyeva uses grey scale watercolor to bring warmth and individuality to an often-harrowing tale of three generations of a Russian immigrant family.
Union for Reform Judaism Appeals for International Response to Refugee Crisis: Urgent Plea to U.S. Government Leaders, and Action Steps for North American Citizens
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Theodore at 212-650-4154
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs: “We Vehemently Oppose Israel’s ‘Nation-State’ Bill”
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism: "We vehemently oppose the ‘nation-state’ bill being debated in the Knesset."
URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs Statement on Israel’s Nation-State Law
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, issued the statement below about Israel’s controversial Nation-State law:
This is a sad and unnecessary day for Israeli democracy. The damage that will be done by this new Nation-State law to the legitimacy of the Zionist vision and to the values of the state of Israel as a democratic—and Jewish—nation is enormous.
Reform Movement Protests Israeli Police Interrogation of Israeli Rabbi Dov Haiyun
From Rabbi Rick Jacobs and Rabbi Joshua Weinberg: We are astonished, angered, and outraged by the interrogation by Israeli police of Rabbi Dov Haiyun yesterday morning. We stand in solidarity with the thousands of protesters who have raised their voices against this attack on religious freedom.