Displaying 1 - 10 of 13
Why Was Fred Rogers at High Holiday Services This Year?
If you attended worship services at a Reform congregation anywhere in North America during the last month or so, chances are good you heard a sermon about Mister Rogers.
How Two Congregations Are Recovering from Hurricane Florence
Rabbi Emily Losben-Ostrov was new to her congregation in Wilmington, NC, when she faced an unprecedented challenge: a Category 4 hurricane during the Days of Awe.
Cakes and Miracles: A Purim Tale
Even though Hershel can no longer see, he remembers what things looked like before he lost his sight - and creates beautiful shapes from his mother’s hamentashen dough. His cookies earn him a compliment and a possible future job from the town baker.
11 Things to Know About a M'gillah Reading
Purim, a Jewish holiday in late winter, celebrates Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai and how they saved the Jews of Persia from an extermination plot by Haman, the king’s vizier. Central to the observance is a public reading – usually in the synagogue – of the Book of Esther (M’gillat Esther, the M’gillah), which tells the story of the holiday.
It's OK Not to Drink on Purim - and the Rest of Us Should Be Respectful of That
We're forbidden from pressuring other people to drink. On Purim and otherwise, what, exactly, can we do to respect those boundaries?
Being Together in Community Again: What Every Congregation Needs to Know
Last year, we talked about it being a High Holidays like no other. And this year we are faced with the same opportunity – to create something that has never before existed.
Don’t Wait: Life Lessons for the High Holidays from 88-Year-Old Reb Murray
Meet 88-year-old Murray, an astounding man. Quiet, sometimes reserved, Murray became my father-in-law 31 years ago, when God softly whispered to me, “Don’t wait.” I confess I didn’t appreciate him fully until recently.
A Jewish Response to Political Scandal
As we witness public figures dismantled by the revelation of ugly episodes from their pasts, we parents must distill these events and their aftermath for our children.
Hester Street: A Poem
Inspired by this week’s Torah portion, this poem plays on the idea of hester panim (the hidden face of God) and the name Esther, a key figure in the holiday of Purim.