Will the New Pope Be Good for the Jews?
Quite a lot of Jewish ink has been spilled over the last few weeks analyzing the pontificate of the now retired Benedict XVI, prognosticating on who might be his successor, and, once announced, reporting every detail of Francis’ history with the Jewish community.
An IDF Soldier's Yom HaZikaron Reflections from a Kibbutz
Girls go to the Western Wall
This past February, we took 16 8th grade students from Congregation Beth Elohim on a trip to Israel. With little explanation of the politics, and in the context of aliyah l’regel, or religious pilgrimage, we took them to the Kotel to put notes in the wall and to pray.
Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut: The Juxtaposition of Extremes
A Prayer in the Aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing
Our God who dwells in the highest heights and in the souls of our feet:
We find You in the passion of those who delight in testing and celebrating the power of their bodies:
A Prayer for Those Affected by the Boston Bombings
Author of life
Source and Creator,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To the victims of the bombings in Boston,
Visiting Israel with Young Children
My baby, Alana, is 25 years old. When she was almost 5, our family visited Israel. This was the children’s first visit. Friends advised us to leave our three young children at home. "They will be bored," "They won’t have anything to eat, "You are wasting your money," they implored. We ignored their entreaties.
Shattered Glass from Carolina to Boston
The sound of glass shattering. Smiles and cheers. That was on Saturday night as Dan and Lauren officially became husband and wife.
"It's Personal": Scenes from Israel on Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut
Galilee Diary: In the Memory Bunker
Monday was Memorial Day for the fallen – in the Israeli army, in the pre-state undergrounds, and in terrorist attacks. It is the day before Yom Ha’atzma’ut (to emphasize the connection), and is observed through ceremonies in schools and other public institutions, cemetery visits, and speeches by politicians. The sense of loss is immediate and inescapable as there is no one who does not have a connection of family, friendship, work, or neighborhood with at least one of the 23,000 fallen.