I have always been Jewish – but what does it mean? My family lived in the former Soviet Union, where I could not learn about being Jewish by going to a synagogue or celebrating Jewish holidays....
I have always believed that here in the United States, anti-Semitism couldn’t possibly be as entrenched as in other parts of the world. In 35 years of life, I had never directly encountered anti...
The front-page headline – “Swastika graffiti stirs fears” – signaled that the wave of post-election hatred and intimidation had reached our small Connecticut town, one of the safest towns in...
I’ve recently established a new routine – checking the synagogue upon my arrival. I never used to do this, but Jewish institutions are on heightened alert now.
Through a Jewish/Muslim playgroup, my sister found an answer to a question many of us ask when we learn of incidents of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: “What can I do?”
After the nation moves on, we will be left to pick up the pieces. Fortunately, this is a very strong and capable Jewish community, blessed to be led by incredible rabbis.
If you won't stand for Hitler's legacy to rise again, then I ask you: When hate is screeched from the airwaves, you must stand on higher mountains and call out words of love and affirmation.
Holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who died on July 2, 2016, spoke with a moral authority rarely matched in his lifetime. In this critical time, we return to his 2005 words.
When I learned there had been 400 men chanting “Jews will not replace us” on the University of Virginia grounds, my first thought was for Congregation Beth Israel.
While being beaten with a belt, Armoush managed to capture on video one of the attackers, a 19-year-old Palestinian from Syria identified by the police as Knaan S.
American Jewry is safe from actual attack, yes, but the Nazi chant of “You will not replace us” lives on in ongoing immigration policy, in public discourse, and in international movements
Last week’s vandalism of a synagogue in California was more upsetting in the wake of white supremacist violence in Charlottesville. Learn how the community responsed.
Our family rejected one name’s legacy of slavery for another’s possible intimation of anti-Semitism. It was a small, quiet act of brit olam, our vision for a world filled with justice and...
The upcoming Women’s March has prompted challenging and heartfelt conversations and raised myriad questions. As one might expect, we are not of one mind.
Because this past week has been difficult for our nation and our Jewish community, it is imperative that we respond with love, inclusion, and compassion.
Recently, as I’ve done for 32 years, I stopped to think about Marilyn Klinghoffer. Although she was briefly a household name, I remember her because she changed my life.
The Passover story reminds us that in every generation an enemy rises up to destroy us. These enemies do not define us nor will they defeat us. Am Yisrael Chai.
Yesterday, someone drew a swastika on the sign-box outside of Klau Library on the Cincinnati campus of the Reform seminary. I am outraged and sickened and saddened. But I am not speechless.
[Author's note: What follows is a portion of my eulogy at Leonard’s funeral on Sunday morning, March 1. He was married to my dear first cousin, Susan.]
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During Shabbat, our day of rest, terrible events took place in Charlottesville, VA. A "Unite the Right" protest organized by the alt-right turned bloody, violent, and ultimately...
Following Saturday’s deadly shooting at Chabad of Poway in California, Reform Jewish clergy, activists, and other community leaders have issued statements, shared words of comfort, appeared on the...
Since last Shabbat, more than a few keystrokes have been devoted to Charlottesville – the rally itself, events in the aftermath, and perspectives on what it all means for our...
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.