My First Time Praying at the Kotel's Egalitarian Prayer Plaza
In the spring of 2014, while studying in Haifa, I traveled down to Jerusalem to meet up with my mother and other members of our congregation who were visiting Israel.
Galilee Diary: The Old Songs
We will still return to an ancient melody
And the song will be beautiful and sweet…- Ancient Melody, a 1950s popular classic Israeli folkdance by Michael Kashtun
So, Rabbi, What Do You Really Think about Jesus?
Of course, Jews will never see Jesus as God or as an object of worship as Christians do. But when Jesus is the inspiration to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and do the things I see so many churches in Germany do today in his name, then I look at him very positively.
Why I Sat Shiva for My Brother, Who Wasn't Jewish
When my brother Jerry died, the questions were not just where to sit shiva or for how long. They were more fundamental: Should I sit shiva for my non-Jewish brother at all?
Election Day: Do Not Separate Yourself from the Community
When I turned 18, I was overjoyed to have the right to vote. I distinctly remember registering to vote as part of a high school government class.
Interfaith Programming, Community Outreach, and How We Bring Judaism to Senior Citizens
A few years ago, Temple Shalom’s sisterhood decided to start a community outreach program that would enable a unique sisterhood from a unique temple to reach out to the unique Central Florida Tri-County community.
Program Idea: Making a Difference in the Lives of Kids with Disabilities
Almost 40 years ago, Temple Israel Sisterhood in Memphis, TN, began a project with the Memphis City Schools’ summer program for visually impaired campers.
Did Jacob Need Esau to Become Israel?
Parashat Tol’dot opens with matriarch Rebecca carrying twins – Esau and Jacob – who, even before birth, struggle each with the other.
Twenty Years Later, We Continue to Define the Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin
“Take your son, your only one, the one you love, Yitzhak…” (Gen 22:2)