In a forthcoming book, Rabbi Eric Yoffie and Dr. Ruth Gavison parsed what is at the heart of Israel’s Declaration of Independence’s aspirations, vision, and principles.

When I learned of the adolescent detention facility in Homestead, FL, I was appalled. Because my mother survived Auschwitz, I felt I had to stand up for these children.

At MahaNetzer Camp in the south of France, more than 150 campers and 40 staff celebrate their unique brand of Judaism every summer. 

https://www.nifcan.org/get-involved/naomi-chazan-fellowship/

Critiquing Israel was not something I ever felt was appropriate for me to do, but there had to be more to the story than I knew. I needed to learn the facts about Israel.

In 2018, the Knesset adopted the “Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People,” nearly ignoring one-fifth of the country’s citizens – Arab-Palestinians.

As Reform Jews, we have a unique obligation to care for the immigrant because we, too, were immigrants. Our collective memory is anchored by our wandering. 

On a recent Shabbat, I spent the time with friends in the park. Within a few steps of our blanket, we watched people from every corner of Jerusalem spend the afternoon.

Why pray to a silent God who is not looking down at us and waiting to hear what we want or legitimately need?

Perhaps the Hebrew month of Av invites us to find a balance between the deep mourning of Tishah B’Av and the hope of finding love embodied in Tu B’Av a few days later?