10 Ways to Welcome Teens at the High Holidays
Looking for innovative opportunities to engage your teens around the High Holidays? These 10 ideas come directly from the source – youth professionals across North America.
"A Dead Son or a Living Daughter:" A Conversation with the Mother of a Transgender Child
Eva needed to socially transition to live full-time as a girl. Our hope is that more and more people will join together to expand the network of supportive communities until transgender people are no longer shunned by society.
What People with Disabilities (and Their Families) Wish Their Rabbis Knew
As a Jewish professional dedicated to issues of disability inclusion and awareness, I’m all about solutions. When I read this article, I wanted to yell, “This is exactly the type of piece that must be required reading in our seminaries!”
What Does It Really Mean to Be a "Jewish State"?
Our community’s strategic planning process, examining the implications of being a “traditional” community, has broader implications for Israel’s identity as a Jewish state.
Do You Work Here?: Volunteers as Consultants and Facilitators
There was a time when congregational leadership roles were clearly defined. Staff members served one role and volunteers served another. When an “expert” was needed, congregations either turned to outside consultants, or, if they were part of a denominational movement, they called the movement office to ask, “Who on your staff can work with our synagogue?”
Times have changed.
Introduction to Judaism: The Elephant in the Room
Like blindfolded people each attempting to describe an elephant from his or her perspective, it’s not always easy to describe what Judaism is, exactly.
Need a Break From the World? Israeli Reggae's a Great Escape
What do you do to process the relentless, overwhelming, often upsetting news these days? How about some Israeli reggae to overcome the news fatigue?
Tu BiShvat: Touchstones in Time
I love Tu BiShvat’s low-key preparation: no sermons, no sukkah, and no kitchen turned upside down. Quick trips for food and wine, and I’m all set.
My Spiritual Journey: From Jewish Ancestry to Jewish Commitment
Always a proud Israeli and Jew, I nonetheless felt something was missing in my life. Meeting religiously modern, dedicated Jews helped me see the missing piece.
What Groundhog Day Can Teach Us About Gratitude
The movie Groundhog Day is a curious favorite of faith communities and the subject of many sermons and lessons. One year, its director taught my congregation some lessons in person when he took to the bimah.