I Lost My Father in Mitzrayim
Passover is usually one of my favorite holidays. I love the ritual of preparing the house, the smell of the food, and the joyous atmosphere at the seder table. But this year is different. Passover began only three days after the one-year anniversary of my father’s suicide.
US and Canadian Synagogues Partner to Help Refugees
Imagine you are running for your life. Your survival depends on the mercy of strangers. Your home is in ruins and your neighbors have fled. There is no turning back. When you reach the crowded camp, you join thousands who ache for a life they will never know again.
Reform Movement Welcomes House Passage of Inclusive VAWA; Looks Forward to Swift Enactment
Weinstein: "Although it has taken far too long to reach this day, we commend both chambers in Congress for passing a reauthorization bill that includes better training for law enforcement, victim service providers and personnel; improved protections for women in t
Galilee Diary: The Neighbors
Whoever saves one life in Israel [i.e., of a Jew] is as if he had saved an entire world.
– Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5
Whoever saves one life is as if he had saved an entire world.
A Promised Land for Those Seeking Refuge
When I learned that I would be spending my spring break in McAllen, Texas, with Temple Sinai, volunteering with migrants fleeing from violence in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, I didn’t know what to think.
Vassar College Powerfully Responds to the Westboro Baptist Church
Ki Teitzei: When You Go Out as a Warrior
Parashat Ki Teitzei includes a rich and varied collection of directives that serve as a partial blueprint for behaviors and norms to create the emerging covenantal culture. As Professor Adele Berlin notes, “Issues pertaining to women are prominent in this parashah. . . .
For Those Whose Exodus Continues Today
For more than 3,000 years, Jews have gathered to retell the story of Passover and celebrate our deliverance from slavery in Egypt. In the Book of Exodus, we are not only told to observe Passover (Exodus 12: 17); we also are taught that, “In every generation all of us are obliged to regard ourselves as if we ourselves went forth from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). We must not only gather for seder and replace chametz with matzah, but we also must take ownership of the Passover narrative and experience it anew each year.
Chancer, a Service Dog Who Offers Healing Through Fur-Covered Spirituality
In 1999, my husband and I created a family when we adopted two unrelated babies, just 16 months old, from Russia. Like all parents, we had dreams for our son, Iyal, and daughter, Morasha, to grow up happy and healthy. The future held such promise!
How Tikkun Olam and Pikuah Nefesh Will Help Me Prepare: A #BlogElul Post
Last week I had lunch with a rabbi friend who told me he’s in the midst of preparing four different sermons for the upcoming High Holidays.