In the book of Nehemiah (chapter 8), we find a description of an ancient Rosh HaShanah at the time of rebuilding Israel after a period of exile.“When the seventh month arrived – the Israelites...
Israel was that man that my parents were trying to set me up with for years that I’ve been avoiding planning a date with.Israel is that friend that I always wanted to meet but we always seemed to...
Shortly after arriving in Israel a few weeks back, I had the privilege of welcoming a few busloads of our teens to Jerusalem. Blindfolded, they stepped off their buses holding hands, moving slowly...
Though Parshat T'rumah provides instructions regarding the building of the Mishkan – the Tabernacle and the Aron HaKodesh, the container in which the Torah is to be kept and revered, the lessons to...
After repeatedly bouncing off the seemingly impenetrable wall of the arcane, exceedingly accurate and lengthily described laws that open the third book of Torah, Vayikra/Leviticus, it is not...
Soon, Jews around the world will gather in our homes and our synagogues, even in public places – to light the hanukkiyah (menorah) and celebrate the festival of Hanukkah. The holiday commemorates a...
I don’t remember the first time I skimmed my skull with a bobby pin and pushed a circle of knitted white cloth and strands of hair into its metal clasp. Wearing a kippah felt like a natural...
Since stepping down as president of the Union for Reform Judaism in 2012, I have spent most of my time writing and lecturing. The topics that I deal with most often are Israel and the Middle East...
The Reform Movement’s slate for the 2015 World Zionist Congress elections won by a wide margin, according to results released Thursday. The Reform Movement’s ARZA slate won 56 out of the United...
It sounds like the beginning of a potentially provocative joke about Israeli politics: Five members of the Knesset – two from the Left, and one each from the center, the right, and from the joint...
In search of a unique Hanukkah gift for the social justice hero in your life? Look no further than this guide for all your gift-giving needs - with an emphasis on tikkun olam, the repair of our broken world.
Reform Zionism is a continuation of the early Zionist dream to foster a living, breathing national culture that represents the highest ideals of Jewish peoplehood.