RAP-ENTANCE: A Soul-Opening Experience for the High Holidays
Long before I became a rabbi, I was a DJ and a hip-hop-head. Music always scored my life, and for years I've wondered, "How can that music be harnessed for religious practice?"
Related Blog Posts on Death and Mourning, Holocaust, Jewish History, and Jewish Values
Navigating COVID: Our Ancestors Pointed the Way
Rabbi Max Chaiken, our Ten Minutes of Torah commentator for the Book of Deuteronomy, is the associate rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Los Angeles, CA. We talk to him about his Jewish journey and the ideas behind his commentaries.
What Does it Mean to Make Successful T’shuvah?
For the first time this year, High Holidays will be conducted remotely for our community – but it will show us that we can, as Rabbi John Rosove taught, truly “overcome the past for the sake of a better future.”
Introducing a Meaningful New Way to Reflect This High Holiday Season
If the High Holidays were to be pared down to their very essence, what are some words and phrases that might come to mind?
Belonging. Connection. Memory. An accounting of the soul.
These are just some of the words that drove the creation of the URJ
The URJ Reflection Project: Go Deeper on “The Memorial”
The rituals of our tradition help us reflect on the reality and permanence of death and loss, remind us of our need for belonging and connection to others, and keep us tethered to the beauty of living.
The 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment: Celebration and Challenge
One hundred years later, as we celebrate the centennial of this momentous occasion, we must also remember the women who the suffrage movement and the 19th Amendment left behind.
Following the Footsteps of the Prophets to Selma: A Conversation with Civil Rights Activist Rabbi Everett Gendler
Rabbi Everett Gendler is known for his involvement in progressive causes, including the civil rights movement, nonviolence, and environmental justice.
3 Ways to Deepen Your Elul Experience This Year
Elul is a time of self-reflection, forgiveness, and exploration. These three new tools can help you make the most of this month before the High Holidays.
Tikkun Middot: Bringing Ourselves into Balance for the New Year
Middot, attributes or character traits, literally means “measures” or “weights.” Call to mind the image of a scale: The process of tikkun middot, of repairing our attributes, is about bringing our character traits into balance.
An Al Cheit for this Moment in Time
I’m praying that these weeks of consolation before the High Holidays will give us the time to confront our sins and respond in ways that will help us to heal from our brokenness and find the courage and resolve to build a better year for all.