2015 Hate Crime Statistics Show Areas of Work Ahead
Each November, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) releases its annual report on hate crime statistics, called the Hate Crime Statistics Report.
Out of Destruction, Into Renewal: Reclaiming Tisha b’Av
This article was originally published on jewishjournal.com.
Remembering Kristallnacht, the Jewish People Continue to Thrive
Kristallnacht, which literally means “the night of broken glass,” occurred on the night of November 9, 1938; this date marked the beginning of the Holocaust.
Love Beyond Measure: Tishah B’Av, Tu B'Av, and Tel Aviv Pride
As a queer rabbinical student, I felt that recent comments by an Orthodox rabbi were inaccurate at best and, at worst, possible incitement to hatred or violence against LGBTQ+ Jews.
After the Flood: What Happens When Election Day Is Over?
The end is near. When we wake up on November 9th, it will be over. And what happens then? We get up and go to work.
How to Make Meaning of America’s Election Results: A Letter to My Children
My adult children in both America and Israel have expressed concern over the outcome of the American elections. This letter is my contribution to their thinking.
A Biblical Text of Terror
In the midst of this week’s parashah, most of which focuses on Jacob’s return to the land of Canaan with his wives, maidservants, and children, is a lengthy story about Jacob’s only daughter, Dina (Genesis 34). While Jacob briefly appears in this story, he plays a surprisingly insignificant role. Indeed, after Jacob hears that Dina has been raped by Shechem, a local Hivite prince, he neither tells anyone nor takes any action, choosing to wait until his sons, who are in the fields tending to the livestock, return home (Genesis 34:5).
From Collective Memory to National Identity
A litany of laws. A multitude of mitzvot. According to Maimonides, Ki Teitzei contains 72 of the 613 commandments in the Torah — the most commandments in any one Torah portion. As the time for the Israelites’ transition into the Land draws ever nearer, God and Moses continue to prepare the people for sovereignty and self-government. In addition to laws that cover rules and regulations within the Israelite community, this portion also includes two passages that dictate the relationship between the people of Israel and neighboring entities.
“Sing with Liberty,” a Prayer of Immigration and Welcoming
This prayer/song is based on “New Colossus,” the sonnet by Emma Lazarus appearing on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Those familiar with the sonnet will recognize the images and phrases reflected here; it was written as an antidote to attempted hijackings of the message of the Lazarus poem.