The Torah In Haiku: Vayeilech
Vayeilech is the shortest portion in the Torah - just one chapter consisting of 30 verses. But it includes an important commandment, part of which is included at the beginning of the Torah service in Mishkan T'filah, the Reform Movement's siddur.
Keep Moving…
I joined America’s Journey for Justice in North Carolina during the week of Nitzavim, a portion that will be read again on the morning of Yom Kippur. It describes for us that moment when our ancestors stood at Sinai to enter into covenant with God.
The Value of Our Teens’ Time
This is the paradox of youth professionals everywhere: We want to help our teens de-stress from their very busy lives by participating in enriching and restoring activities at their synagogue. How do we get them here without making their lives busier or adding more to their already over-programmed schedules? Is that even possible?
Practicing Audacious Hospitality on Sukkot
I cherish the holiday of Sukkot. It beautifully encapsulates the quintessential magic of this bountiful time of year.
Conversations with Engagement Innovators: Rabbi PJ Schwartz
- How have you engaged your community around youth? We have always had a successful and vibrant youth program, and it continues to grow. Because youth engagement is a passion of mine, I am very involved in programming, both formally and informally.
Our Second Annual Rosh Hashanah Sermon Round-Up
This was the year that Reform rabbis spoke about race. More than 200 rabbis participated the NAACP’s Journey for Justice, and it gave rise to some powerful sermons.
The Ripple Effects of Peer-to-Peer Mentorship
When I recently asked a group of colleagues to help me think about examples from pop culture in which teens mentor other teens, we found it surprisingly difficult to come up with genuine examples.
These Shoes are Made for Walking: Our Collective Path in the New Year
TOMS Shoes have fascinated me for years. I am taken by the company’s business model and how it brought social entrepreneurship into every day vernacular.
Three Congregational Programs that Prove We’re Stronger Together
In Jewish tradition, the theme of partnership is one that arises again and again: Adam seeks an appropriate partner from among God’s creations; Moses and Aaron are two brothers whose strengths and leadership skills complement each other; King Saul and King David both depend on Samuel the prophet
Three Great Congregational Programs that Tackle the Challenge of Demographic Diversity
Three Reform congregations received URJ Belin Awards or honorable mentions for the ways they’re “meeting people where they are” – creatively adapting their engagement strategies in response to local community needs, thereby enabling their congregations to successfully meet and engage people where they live and work.