How does Reform Judaism say we should best honor our mothers in today’s world?
While Judaism does not have an equivalent to the secular Mother’s Day, Reform Judaism has been at the forefront of including women in religious life as equal partners.
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.
Death Penalty for Boston Bomber Doesn't Deliver Justice
Washington D.C., May 15, 2015 -- In response a federal jury's decision today to condemn Boston Marathon bombing perpetrator Dzhokar Tsarnaev to death, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, made the following statement:
Loving Our Neighbors as Ourselves, in Baltimore and Beyond
The wisdom of Torah is applicable in all times and places. Especially during these tense days in the life of Baltimore, the city where I live and serve as a rabbi, the lessons of Torah help us understand what we must do.
Loving Our Neighbors As Ourselves
Healing and Progress in Baltimore
Death Penalty for Boston Bomber Doesn't Deliver Justice
No Matter What the Supreme Court Decides, We’ve Already Won
I often think about how fortunate I am to live in this period of time when social justice for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community is advancing at such a rapid pace.
Syrian Refugees
With more than 500,000 people displaced to neighboring countries by the violent civil war in Syria, the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief (JCDR) has opened a fund to provide humanitarian aid to the refugees.
The Sacred, the Secular, and the Great American Songbook
I was invited to present a musical performance piece in conjunction with the traveling exhibit based upon David Lehman's seminal work, A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs. Flattered, I hesitated, at first, to accept the invitation.