Opening Our Doors: A Reflection on Passover and Transgender Day of Visibility
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 8.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Garamond; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 8.0px 36.0px; font: 14.0px Garamond; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; c
Not Only Our Daughters: A Prayer for Women Throughout The World
The following is a prayer expressing gratitude for what those of us blessed with privilege and freedom can offer our daughters - and so too is it a prayer of protest and concern for those of us who cannot provide these things.
For the People of Italy: A Prayer after the Earthquake
Here are two prayers after an earthquake struck Italy today: one for the people and one for first responders.
When We Seek God as a Partner
In Parashat Sh’mini we read of the death of Aaron’s sons who offered “alien fire” to God and were consumed. While commentators throughout the ages have tried to make sense of this tragedy, the text also guides us to appreciate the power of the choices we make.
What Will It Take for the World to Offer Women Full Equality?
Nearly 40 years ago, I stood on the bimah as a bat mitzvah, the first young woman in my family to celebrate my Jewish coming of age. Its significance was totally lost on me, however. Having been raised to believe that both boys and girls could pretty much do anything they wanted, what was the big deal, I wondered.
How Music Can Help Us Make Connections in Difficult Times
The Hamilton craze is sweeping the nation, and even the Jewish community isn’t exempt. Case in point: Recently, at the annual convention of the American Conference of Cantors and the Guild of Temple Musicians, several cantors led a Shacharit (morning) service that included several prayers set to tunes from the smash hit by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
And it wasn’t the only secular music to take center stage. Just two days earlier, a few colleagues and I had led a Maariv (evening) service that included “Be Here Now” by Ray LaMontagne and “Grateful” by John Bucchino.
What is it that makes secular music useful and appropriate in a service setting? Or is it?
After Parkland, Can We Ever Forgive?
We may never reach a full t’shuvah in our ability to forgive, but we should always strive to make the world better for future generations.
Why I Spent a Week Learning with Muslims and Christians
It troubles me that I live in a socially segregated community, so when my professor announced that he would be co-teaching with a Protestant preacher and a Muslim imam a week-long summer intensive called Building Abrahamic Partnerships, I immediately signed up.
We See Ourselves in the Syrian Refugee Narrative
Each of us had different reasons for taking part in the recent mission to Berlin sponsored by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. We care deeply about the refugee crisis and wanted to learn so that we could share the story, engage our congregants and communities with this issue, and be part of an effective response.