in the beginning Oneness breathed us into life we are unity

When I became rabbi of Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, NJ, I quickly discovered that some people in our community thought we were a church. Mail was addressed to “Monmouth Reformed Temple,” and letters were addressed “Dear Pastor.”

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. God said: “Let there be light.” And there was light.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted so much of how we engage Jewishly, but Shavuot is a fantastic holiday for families to celebrate from the safety of their homes. Here are a few ways you and your family can observe this rich, festive Jewish holiday this year.

The author of "The (unofficial) Hogwarts Haggadah" and "The (unofficial) Muggle Megillah" has delivered another work of art combining fanservice and prescient Jewish learning in "The Superhero Haggadah: A Story of Signs and Marvels."

Shavuot offers a glimpse at how others in our tradition faced unimaginable and unremitting losses – and were sometimes helped to prevail. There are powerful lessons for us within the story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth.

In Hebrew, two terms describe two different aspects of nationalism. Leumiut directly translates to “nationalism"; leumanut carries a jingoistic, chauvinistic, supremacist, and extremist brand of nationalism.

I envisioned an investigator examining our homes and our lifestyles to determine whether enough about us would convince a jury that we were indeed Jews. What would they look for? Would they deem us Jewish?

This is a moment that requires extraordinary courage to do the hardest and most transformative social change work. It is for all Americans of conscience to build a more just and compassionate future by facing the truth of our history and our present.