Rethinking the Holy Days
I’ve come to the conclusion we need to change the date of Simchat Torah. Our Jewish festivals must be re-envisioned as inspirational community gatherings of joyful spiritual Jewish celebration. Every single festival needs to be a time of great community involvement and meaning.
Galilee Diary: Galilee encounters
10 Jewish Reasons To Quit Smoking
Rosh HaShanah is over, and it’s time to start acting on your new year’s resolutions.
Planting “Trees” to Fulfill the Dream of Israel’s Founders
Tu BiShvat (Jewish Arbor Day) is the time of year when Israeli schoolchildren plant trees. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that a teacher instituted the tree-planting custom.
Wildfire Recovery: A Tu BiShvat Tale
When a wildfire leveled my home when I was 20, I fell into a deep depression. Later, when I began to re-engage, I started to associate my emergence with Tu BiShvat.
On this Tu Bishvat and MLK Day, Address Environmental Injustice
This year, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Tu Bishvat (the Jewish "New Year of the Trees") both occur on January 21, 2019, and the 15th of Shvat 5779.
How We're "Rooting" Reform Judaism in the Sands of Holon
Miraculously, a delicate network of threads is emerging amongst us, linking us heart to heart.
Mourning and Joy: The Bookends of Israel's History
“Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy.” Whoever wrote these words knew the depth of our collective mourning is matched only by the height of our collective joy.
What Would Isaiah Say About Israel's Efforts to Make Peace?
After 70 years, the path to peace in Israel is as troubled as ever. Yet, peace may not be as elusive as we might think. Sometimes it comes from the most unlikely places.
"We Were Like Dreamers..." On Israel's 70th Birthday, Reflecting Back and Looking Ahead
Seventy years have gone by since the great miracle of the establishment of the State of Israel, and we are called upon to learn how to sow and reap at the same time.