How to Understand the Timelessness of Jewish Time
Although we may think time moves in a linear fashion, Jewish holidays insert themselves in unexpected moments and places, seemingly out-of-sync with our expectations.
What Tu BiShvat and Sam the Pickle Man Have in Common
Even though “Crossing Delancy’s” Sam the Pickle Man and Tu BiShvat both are somewhat predictable, they also are filled with wisdom, poetry, hope, and faith.
What College Has Taught Me About the Power of Shabbat
Growing up, my family didn’t usually celebrate Shabbat at home. Only when I went away to college did Shabbat become truly meaningful.
This Tu BiShvat, May We Begin with the Trees
May each of us, at this Tu BiShvat – the New Year of the Trees – refuse to be complacent in accepting the ills and sorrows of our lives.
How the Supermarket Reminds Me Tu BiShvat is Coming
In my past life as a cantor in Los Angeles, I was always facilitating the concept of “Jewish time” for others. Here in Jerusalem, it just sort of happens on its own.
Roots and Branches of the New Year of the Trees
In college, being outdoors and celebrating the natural world was an important part of my spirituality, so I sought out hints that other Jews felt the same way.
Trees and Hope: A Tu BiShvat Reflection
The wind and the smell of smoke woke us. We stumbled out of bed, joining neighbors in the cul-de-sac to stare at the red glow lighting up the hills behind our houses.
A Message from Rabbi Jonah Pesner on the March for Our Lives
Photo: Donovan Marks, courtesy of Washington National Cathedral.
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, made the following statement about the March for Our Lives:
Learning from the Imperfection of Religion
Parashat Mishpatim offers a myriad of rules to guide us in how to treat other individuals and nations. It makes us wonder: Why is it easier to think and behave humanely when we consider individuals rather than nations?