Making a Jewish Ritual for my Divorce
In the weeks leading up to my civil divorce, I delved into Jewish tradition to see how I could mark it Jewishly. I'd been married under a chuppah with the exquisite blessings of our tradition; simply marking my divorce in the Cook County courthouse was not going to suffice.
You’re Invited to Remember
Growing up, I saw Yizkor as a mysterious event on Yom Kippur afternoon. The grownups would return to temple in the afternoon, while my sister and I stayed home. There was no explanation, just an understanding that this was a thing our parents and grandparents did, and we did not.
Wrestling with Torah and More on the Way to Adult B'nai Mitzvah
In the process of becoming b’nai mitzvah, adult students grapple, struggle, and wrestle, and in the end, always bring Torah to life and life to Torah.
Balaam’s Talking Ass
The parashah for this Shabbat is a fundamentalist’s nightmare. This week we read the lollapalooza granddaddy of all the off-the-wall Bible stories. It’s so preposterous it makes splitting the Red Sea look like child’s play. This week Balaam, the seer, is riding on his she-ass to deliver a paid-for-in-advance imprecation
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The Union for Reform Judaism leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America.