Changed for the Better
“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? Because I knew you, I’ve been changed for good.”
A Shabbat Prayer for Joplin Mosque and Sikh Temple
The tragic shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, WI last weekend that resulted in seven deaths and scores of injuries has horrified us all. Acts of violence fueled by ethnic hatred, including what may be an act of arson against a mosque in Joplin, MO this week, have no place in ou
Reform Movement Mourns Sikh Tragedy
Yesterday afternoon a 40-year-old man, Wade Michael Page, opened fire in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, fatally wounding six members of the community and injuring three others.
Biennial Resolutions: How Your Congregation Can Shape the Reform Movement’s Future
Biennial resolutions inform what it means to be part of the Union for Reform Judaism. Learn how your congregation can be part of the process.
Noah and How We Live with One Another in Our Time
Every few years we are treated to the same news item. It proclaims breathlessly that a new expedition to Mount Ararat has located remains of Noah's ark. Of course, it always turns out that the boat was not found after all, and future reports will run the same course.
The Dove Flyer: A Novel
Eli Amir was 13 years old when his family left Baghdad for Israel in 1950. They spent their first seven years in Israel living in tents, and the trauma of that experience led him to devote his career to issues of immigrant absorption.
Including transgender and gender non-conforming students in schools: Commemorating LGBTQ History Month
October is LGBTQ History Month, when Americans across the country remember and celebrate individuals who have fought for the inclusion of all members of the LGBTQ community.
Chatting With Jesus in the Sukkah
During Sukkot, we customarily invite famous people from the past to be guests in the sukkah. This year, I would like to invite Jesus as my guest.
Rape, Abortion and Judaism
The Creative Power of Words
"Sticks and stones," the nursery rhyme says, "may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." The intent of this pithy statement is probably to help children solve disputes with words rather than physical violence. Its message does, however, raise serious doubts. Words can and do hurt us.