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Modern-Day Plagues of Injustice and Inequality
On Passover, we recount the Ten Plagues that were put upon the Egyptian people. While acknowledging the ancient plagues, we invite you to also incorporate into your Seder an accounting of some of the "plagues" and injustices that afflict our present-day society.
A Redistricting Win for RAC-PA
As the buds of Spring emerge and Jews across the world began preparing for Passover, here in Pennsylvania we see glimmers of hope that we too will be taking steps to celebrate freedom and democracy. With a March 16 th State Supreme Court Decision, the Commonwealth got more equitable and racially just maps, and RAC-PA won our first campaign!
A Chilling Portrait of Bigotry: Hate Crime Murders Reach Record High in 2019
On Monday, the FBI released its annual compilation of hate crimes statistics, which summarizes all hate crimes reported to the FBI in 2019. The grim data underscore the alarming power of hateful ideologies.
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.
Go Forth to Freedom
On the first night of Passover, Jews around the world gather for a Seder during which the story of our ancestors' liberation from Egypt is retold. Tradition dictates that as part of the seder, the youngest person present and able asks four questions, including "Why is this night different from all others?" But each of us, no matter our age, can ask challenging questions that lead to new insights about injustice and liberation that can be applied to the modern day.
Kristallnacht's Lessons for Today
Each year on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, we recall the opening salvo of the violent assault on Jews that foreshadowed the Holocaust and ask ourselves what should have been done at that moment.anti
The COVID-19 Crisis and the Faith Community
In addressing epidemics, there are a number of provisions of Jewish law directly relevant to challenges we face today. The spirit of these laws and their wisdom speaks across the centuries to us now.
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. . . .
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.
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.