It wasn't because of 9/11. It wasn't because I had a tradition of military service in my family. And while the pay and benefits are nice, it wasn't for those reasons, either. That wasn't why I joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves in 2003 and later switched to the Air National Guard. I joined for the same reason I became a rabbi: I have a desire to serve others and be part of something larger than myself.

The Reform Jewish Community of Canada (RJCC) is working to bring Canadian Reform Jews together by fostering new connections between communities and hosting gatherings that allow people to reconnect after two years of quarantine.

It’s been a decade since the Union for Reform Judaism passed its Resolution on First Nations, which affirmed, in part, the URJ’s support of the right of Canada's First Nations community to self-determination and encouraged Canadian congregations to develop relationships with First Nations communities.

Even though Halloween began as a pagan holiday, it now brings spooky fun to children and adults of all backgrounds, including many Jews who view it more as a traditional holiday than a religious holiday.

New Year's Day and the traditional resolutions that accompany it invite us to take stock of our lives. Are we living our lives to the fullest? Can we imagine a future in which the commitments we make for ourselves (e.g., healthier habits around eating and exercise) actually come true? What will it take this year to really change?

My father was a quiet man. He was not one to engage in philosophical or political discussions. He did not tell people what to think or how to live.

Had Pop left me and my sister an ethical will, it would have emphasized love of mishpucha (family). Above all

On Shavuot, the holiday when we celebrate receiving the Torah marks the completion of counting the omer, we are reminded of the historic and nation-altering moment our ancestors experienced in the desert when God revealed God’s self. While we our counting days

 

“When the telegram arrived, we all knew what that meant.  But my parents  didn’t speak English, so I went inside and read it to them. You can imagine, it was a very tough day.” That’s 99-year-old Harry Cordova’s recollection of an event that happened 79

June and her partner, Betsy, adopted two girls from Guatemala and raised them together until Betsy died of cancer four years ago. June talked with me about the great joy she felt in fulfilling her dream of becoming a mom and the challenges she and her teenage daughters faced after suffering such a tremendous loss.