A New Jew Showing up for Shabbat with a Resolute Welcome
There’s nothing unique about my grief following the murders in Pittsburgh except that the fear imbedded in it is new to me.
Jacob Awakens to the Sexual Assaults Suffered by His Children
In Parashat Vayeishev, we read that Joseph suffers sexual harassment at the hands of Potiphar’s wife. Joseph is the patriarch Jacob’s second child to face sexual violence, after his daughter Dinah was raped (Gen. 34). In this midrashic monologue, we wonder how Jacob reacted to the news of what happened to Dinah:
This Hanukkah, Light One Candle for the Rohingya People
Crises often continue long after they disappear from the headlines, and the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Burma is no exception.
How Can We Be Thankful in a Season of Tragedy?
I hope that by taking time to appreciate what we have, I can energize myself to continue working on behalf of those whose lives have been damaged by injustice and cruelty.
Galilee Diary: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke
…So I know the sea was not split in vain Deserts not crossed in vain – If at the end of the story stand Daddy and the kid Looking forward and knowing their turn will come. -from "The Kid of the Haggadah" by Nathan Alterman (trans. Arthur Waskow and Judy Spelman)
Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh
Coming so soon after the massive trauma in Pittsburgh, how would Hanukkah be felt in the hearts and spirits of the people there?
Look for the Helpers, Be the Helpers: How Pittsburgh's Reform Community Came Together
The mission of the URJ is to build a world of wholeness, justice, and compassion. Now more than ever, we must be strong and resolute in this important mission.
Immigrant Roots, Immigrant Rights: The Ten Plagues
The following is an excerpt from “Immigrant Roots, Immigrant Rights,” a haggadah created for Jews United For Justice’s 11th Annual Labor Seder.