Galilee Diary: Fringes
by Marc Rosenstein
(Originally published in Ten Minutes of Torah and Galilee Diary)
How Do Reform Jews Understand Tishah B’Av?
Racial Justice Resources for the High Holidays
When Winter Storm Jonas hit D.C. in January, we were eagerly looking forward to the balmy, humid temperatures of the D.C. summer. Now, with August already upon us, the summer will sadly be over soon.
How to Focus on Racial Justice During the High Holidays
This High Holidays season, as we think about racial justice and voting rights this late summer and fall, we’re also thinking about other key issues that are important to repairing our broken world and combating racial injustice.
From Melancholy to Love: A Journey for the Jewish People and Me
I first learned about Tu B’Av during the summer I began rabbinical school in 1996. On a basic level, I understood it to be one of those minor Jewish holidays that did not have a “real name,” but was referred to simply by its calendrical date – the 15th of Av. Clearly a post-biblical holiday.
Resource Roundup: Everything You Need for the High Holidays
If you’re looking for a particular resource you don’t see listed here, let us know so we can help you find it – and you can always post in The Tent to chat with other congregational leaders and URJ staff. L’shanah tovah!
How to Make Tishah B’Av Meaningful Today
As the only Jewish holiday occurring during the summer, the primary place in the North American Reform community where we find Tishah B’Av observed – for the most part – is in our summer camps. Nonetheless, Tishah B’Av can provide an opportunity for all Jews to reflect on serious questions concerning the meaning of the Jewish experience and our relationship with God.
A New Moment to Come Together Against Islamophobia
This week, the Jewish community celebrates Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, a holy day that continues through today.* While we in the Jewish community are celebrating a new month, the Muslim community is observing Eid al-Fitr, one of two Muslim festival holidays commemorating the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of the month of Shawwal.
This confluence of celebrations is bound to happen because both Judaism and Islam follow a lunar calendar. But even the fundamental fact that both faith traditions follow a lunar calendar is an important reminder that we have more in common than what makes us different. The coinciding holidays remind us to celebrate the similarities of our faith traditions, exploring the values, teachings, or practices that unite us.