Sink or Swim: The State of Education in Israel
I recently returned from fulfilling my life dream of visiting the Galapagos Islands and following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin.
What Can the Brian Williams Scandal Teach Us About "Walking with God"?
I have this terrible image I can’t quite shake, of walking into high school on the first day and being terrified.
An Alabama Synagogue Takes a Big Stand for Marriage Equality
As the much-anticipated oral argument approaches in the marriage equality cases coming out of the Sixth Circuit Court before the Supreme Court, the fight for marriage equality within states wages on.
Purim, the Bible, and a Vengeful God
Cruelty and bloodshed abound in the Bible as, for example, the Pharaoh's ruthless treatment of his Israelite slaves and Moses' vengeful slaying of the Egyptian taskmaster in the Passover story.
Finding Faith in a Community: One Young Man's Remarkable Journey
Today marks the day our late son and brother, Jeffrey B. Plevan, would have turned 38 years old. Judaism was an enormous part of Jeff’s life, and he received a rich Jewish education despite having significant learning disabilities.
Adah Isaacs Menken: Jewish Superstar
Adah Isaacs Menken (1835-1868), the original Jewish American superstar and beautiful sensation of the Victorian era, revolutionized a woman's role on stage and in private life. Adah's heartfelt cause was the plight of the Jewish people under hostile regimes, and their need for a homeland.
The Sacred Act of Unplugging: For Our Kids, For Ourselves
My 6-year-old son recently staged a one-man play in our kitchen. It had a simple plot – a mom with her face buried in her phone, tapping away at the keys while a kid tries to get her attention. “Tap, tap, tap… Mom. Mom. Mom…. tap, tap, tap. Mom, Mom, Mom. Tap, tap, tap. MOM! MOM!
Social Justice Takes Center Stage at the Academy Awards
In case you missed it, this week’s Academy Awards featured a number of acceptance speeches in which many of the winners called attention to important issues of social justice.
Building a Reform Platform
Orthodox Judaism claims that its only platform is the Torah itself. The Conservative movement was in existence for three generations before it finally created its only set of principles in 1988.