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Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal shares the story of Regina Jonas, the first woman to be ordained as a rabbi, in her children's book "Regina Persisted: An Untold Story"
Celia Amster Bader thought girls should be educated and have opportunities to impact the world outside the home – so she took her daughter, Ruth, to the library.
One Jewish mother’s letter to the Divine: “Before I looked upon my babies in real-life, or even in photos, I knew You were the matchmaker.”
According to Jewish tradition, tzedakah is part of our obligation to help repair the world. Making charitable contributions helps others, and in doing so, it also helps me and my sons.
At URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy, a Reform Jewish summer camp with locations in Byfield, MA, and Thousand Oaks, CA, every summer morning starts with a “Boker Big Bang” – a brief prayer...
One day, coming home from the temple where I served as rabbi, I spotted a bag from our local pharmacy on the kitchen counter. It was stapled shut, but the attached prescription for my 25-year-old...
Not every day in the life of a rabbi is as busy as today was for me, but days like this one remind me why I love my job. The day included teaching in our congregation’s religious school, leading...
There is a reason the Talmud teaches that a funeral procession must make way for a wedding party when passing on the road: Life must take priority over death. A marriage is a commitment to life,...
Even though Hershel can no longer see, he remembers what things looked like before he lost his sight - and creates beautiful shapes from his mother’s hamentashen dough. His cookies earn him a...
Try this family's unique way of engaging children in tikkun olam by helping the homeless.
Jewish tradition provides wisdom on how to handle these moments – both as parents and as individuals: Don’t be afraid to learn. Take large actions. Embrace small acts. Tell the stories to your...
As children and as adults, we make sense of the world by digging into big questions. We connect with each other through conversations - between parents and children, with other adults, and as part...
When her early childhood class plans a Shavuot hike, Sadie is afraid she won’t be able to make it to the top of the “mountain” and tries to think of ways to avoid the walk. When...
“Happy birthday to trees! Happy birthday to trees!” Yes, that’s Lila from Shaboom! singing and tree-hugging to kick off a short lesson about Tu BiShvat.
Teaching our kids to assume responsibilities around the house sure can be challenging. Often, it seems so much easier just to do it ourselves – after all, it’ll be done faster and done correctly....
These five guidelines are all useful in helping children confront any troublesome situation.
Try making these mini-prayer tents with your children to help them develop a spiritual bedtime ritual.
Visiting the sick (bikur cholim) is an important mitzvah (commandment) in Judaism, but preparing kids in advance is crucial.
Judaism and Islam stem from the same foundational idea that we are the Children of Abraham, descendants of our common patriarchs and matriarchs. Although both Judaism and Islam have many different...
The Broader Issue
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Israel’s system of government is based on parliamentary democracy, and in practice operated under secular law. Additionally, each of the major religious communities (Judaism, Christianity, Islam,...
When we speak about immigrants, we’re referring to citizens of other countries who are, for any number of reasons, seeking to live permanently in the United States. When we speak about refugees, we...
Within the scope of Health & Wellness, topics range from mental to physical, from policy to psychological, from spiritual to environmental; relevant issues encompass violence...
The term LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer; in some cases, you may see additional letters LGBTQQIAA which expand the acronym to include Questioning,...
Environmental justice refers to our obligation to protect our planet, its resources, and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the rights of all people to have “equal access to...
Economic Justice is the principle that all people should have reliable and sufficient access to food and housing in a given economy. The sub-issues that are typically focused on by...
The world feels complicated and uncertain right now. Every day, a torrent of news comes out that can be difficult for adults to process, let alone children. As parents, we have an obligation both...
Sophie enjoys special time spent with each of her grandmothers, and eating their delicious chicken soup. Both her Jewish Bubbe and her Chinese Nai Nai have a special family recipe, and both compete...
As adults, we must not let our knowledge of real-life violent adult events taint the innocence of childhood. Read these useful tips for parents and caregivers.
Spilled cereal? “Sorry!” Broken bongos? “Oops!” Overturned plant? “Sorry!” Stolen comic book? Accusations fly and tears fall as the cloud playhouse and Plony home confront the chaos of careless...
Ben and Lila fight over their favorite bath towel, cup and everything else. Papa Plony is so distracted by playing his banjo that he forgot to make the challah that he promised Mama. Even Gabi and...
While looking for a lost baseball, Ben finds a Legend of Latka action figure and claims it as his own...
Here are some fun Rosh HaShanah-related blessings, rituals crafts and activities for your family to welcome the new year.
Scaredy spark Gabi must cross a narrow bridge to play on the beckoning bouncy cloud. During the family campout in a stormy back yard, Mama Plony confronts a clanky robot from outer space. ...
Yasmin must hold her nose to wade through the garbage piling up outside the Plony house. Though she turns off the faucet and begs Momma Plony not to use extra paper towels, it takes a magical...
Papa Plony is obsessed with beating the Baloney family in the annual relay race. But when Yasmin flakes out on practice, and a new team member shows up with an unexpected physical difference - he...
The Plony family rallies to make donations for their synagogue’s charity drive, but Gabi and Rafael notice that Mom, Dad and Ben only want to part with broken or worn out items.
Magical Rafael wants a new toy, specifically a hoversaurus dino-copter. In the real world, Lila and Yasmin are unhappy that their kite won’t fly without wind. A confused ‘sunbrella’ and a nest...
In this sneeze-filled episode, we find the magical Sparks Gabi and Rafi fighting off their own colds while they help the Plony family realize that Grandpa needs cheering up in the hospital. Gabi’s...
Join the magical “Sparks” Gabi and Rafael as they teach a lesson in hospitality to the Plony family members, who are too distracted to hear the doorbell ringing when their cousin arrives from...
When acts of terror occur, we are all filled with sadness and shock; worries about our own security and the security of those we love may become sharply increased in the aftermath of such...
Noah loves everything about summer camp – except swimming. Yet, when he finds out about a camp swim-a-thon that will give other children a chance to attend the camp he loves,...
When Abby moves with her family to Israel, she misses her grandmother and remembers the fun they had with each other. Writing to each other helps, but it isn’t the same as spending time together....
Permitting children “free-range” freedoms has subjected a growing number of parents to charges of child neglect. A concurrent trend is the increasing busyness of children, keeping them occupied...
We all lead busy lives, running here and there and everywhere. It can be difficult to find time for ourselves, let alone to nurture a spiritual or religious life. But there are many ways to feel...
Make story and snuggle time Jewish time: read a Jewish book with your child! Read this review of The Passover Lamb for great ideas on how to engage your child.
Nate and his classmates are working on their Purim costumes. All the boys in his class are planning to wear superhero costumes, but Nate loves aliens and would like to dress as an alien....
A litle apple tree is jealous of the big tall oak, until one day it discovers something surprising. This Tu BiShvat story teaches that everyone has qualities that make them special in a...
In a retelling of a ancient folk tale, Benny's grandfather runs a bakery with the best bagels in town. When people thank Benny's grandpa for the bagels, he says that God is the one who should be...
It can be difficult to find fun Hanukkah kitchen activities for little ones. Making fried foods, like latkes and sufganiyot (jelly donuts), can be dangerous to make...
