This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all schools in Israel have been closed for most of the year, leaving students stuck at home and trying to complete their studies remotely. All of them are hurting – emotionally and socially.

An Israeli man and his wife, stuck abroad in the pandemic, noticed their daughter was showing signs of a neurological disorder, so they decided to return home as soon as possible. But coming home wasn’t so easy.

This past year was filled with worries about health – our physical health, and the health of democracy. But we at the Israel Religious Action Center are steady on our feet, and keeping our instruments in tune.

Sometimes a Jew has to learn from a Christian how to perform a mitzvah. I learned how to clean racist graffiti from the walls of Jerusalem from Father Nicodemus of Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion.

This has been a long, tough fight. But we are confident that we will prevail, and look forward to the day when we can all pray together at the Western Wall.

Israel is a country for all Jews, and it is long past time that the State recognizes that there is more than one way to be Jewish. We deserve equal treatment and recognition, and we will not be deterred by those who would deny us these rights.

Rabbi Michael Dolgin, our Genesis commentator for Ten Minutes of Torah, is passionate about community engagement, interfaith and intercultural understanding, and tikkun olam. We caught up with him on how his Torah commentaries speak to some of the critical issues of our time.

What do the Abayudaya community of Uganda, the “Jews of the Amazon” of Peru, and the Adat Israel community of Guatemala have in common? They began as “emerging” Jewish communities.

Congregations affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism (IMPJ) provide services far beyond prayer services on Shabbat and holidays. Many act as community centers. They have schools, preschools, and kindergartens, and hold all kinds