The Six-Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East
For Jews of a certain age, June 5, 1967 is and always will be a date as familiar as one’s own birthday. It was on that day that Israel launched a preemptive strike in response to the mobilization of Egyptian forces along the Israeli border in the Sinai Peninsula and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights.
Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War
In 1938, Hank Greenberg came three home runs shy of eclipsing Babe Ruth’s record of 60 homers in a season.
Parashat Tzav: Taking Care of Ourselves and Each Other Amid Crisis
In recent weeks, we have found ourselves on a journey for which we have felt totally unprepared. Like our ancestors, we lack maps and familiar signposts (though we do have Zoom!) to help us get oriented in our new reality.
A Pandemic Playlist: Jewish and Secular Songs for This Moment
For many of us, words seem inadequate to describe how we are feeling at this very moment. It is music that can carry us, support us, and hold out the possibility of hope and a better future.
This Year, We Need Passover More Than Ever
Each year on Passover, we ask “Mah nishtanah,” “Why is this night different?” This year, though, we know why: Pesach 5780 is simply unlike any other.
A Jewish Values Matrix for Dealing with a Time of Illness
As we struggle to consider all our options in this ever-changing environment, we strive to make decisions using a values-based matrix that will help us to act in a consistent manner that is in line with Jewish tradition and modern sensibility.
How Will History Judge Us in This Time of Crisis?
I pray that this pandemic may be lifted speedily from this planet – and when it is, may we be able to look back without shame at the way we behaved and how we treated one another.
What Does "Next Year in Jerusalem" Really Mean?
A Passover Prayer for Congregational Leaders in the Era of COVID-19
As we prepare to enter into the holy days of Passover, let’s first take a moment to reflect on the work we’ve all done throughout the past few weeks. You have been willing to lead, and in doing so, you have helped make very narrow places, the literal translation of the word mitzrayim, a little less narrow.
A Prayer for Passover in the Era of COVID-19
"Source of Blessing, our lives are in turmoil, our hearts heavy. Help us to cope with this modern plague..."