Interfaith Sign-on Letter in Opposition of First Amendment Defense Act
In advance of tomorrow’s hearings on Religious Liberty and H.R. 2802, the ‘First Amendment Defense Act’ (FADA), the undersigned organizations, representing a diverse group of beliefs and faith traditions, write to express our opposition to this measure, (S. 1598/H.R. 2802), introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Representative Raúl Labrador (R-ID). We would ask that this letter be included as part of the official hearings record.
Repair the World at Biennial: Wednesday Tikkun Olam Highlights
As Biennial opens today, so do many opportunities to delve deeper into Tikkun Olam (repairing the world). Here are some highlights from the Tikkun Olam track for Wednesday. Stay tuned each day for more tikkun olam updates each day of Biennial!
Twenty Years Later, We Continue to Define the Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin
“Take your son, your only one, the one you love, Yitzhak…” (Gen 22:2)
Why "UN COP 21 Paris" Matters for Reform Jews and the World
World leaders, environmentalists, faith leaders and activists will soon gather in Paris, a city so recently plagued with violence and terrorism, to create a framework to reduce the grave dangers of escalating clim
My Son May Be Sheltered Now, But That Won’t Last Forever
For better or for worse, my son doesn’t yet know how scary this world can be – and I’m not eager to break it to him.
Putting God Second: How to Save Religion from Itself
Hardly a week goes by without news of religious extremists committing atrocities against people of other faiths in the name of God or some other holy cause. As a result, “religion” itself has been put on trial.
Open Letter To Donald Trump From Rabbi Rick Jacobs
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), sent the following letter to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump today in response to statements attributed to his campaign about foreign policy regarding a two-state solution.
How We Commemorated Kristallnacht in the Western Galilee
In the Western Galilee where I live in northern Israel, the population is diverse – about half is Jewish with the other half a combination of Muslim, Christian, and Druze. Although many of us live in different cities and villages according to faith or culture, some of our communities are mixed, so we share many of the same entertainment venues, businesses, and institutions. We live and work together and must afford one another respect and understanding.
Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story
Matti Friedman was conscripted into the Israeli Defense Forces at 20, along with 19 other young recruits, and sent to a border outpost in Lebanon called Pumpkin Hill, which he describes as “a forgotten little corner of a forgotten little war.” Israeli casualties of Hezbollah guerilla attacks were code-named “flowers,” hence the title of his new book, Pumpkinflowers A Soldier’s Story (Algonquin Books, 2016).
When "Old" is the New Way of Engaging Jewish Youth
Last week’s Torah portion, Parashat Chukat, tells us how after forty years of journeying through the desert, the people of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Zin. There, Miriam dies and gets buried. Her passing gives me a pause because I feel connected to her.