The Four Children of Climate Change
We often talk at the seder about the Four Children: the Wise, the Wicked, the Simple, and the Silent children (or, as the last is often called, the Child Who Does Not Know How To Ask).
Kimchee on the Seder Plate: A Look at Multiracial Jewishness on Passover and Beyond
As a mixed-race couple with two young, mixed-race children living in a small community, we see an American Judaism that is ready to be open and responsive to the increasing demographic diversity in our country.
Discovering Israel Beyond Its Borders
Growing up in rural Massachusetts, Judaism held a much different context in my life than it does now. Until college, I did Judaism, mimicking the motions of being a "good Jew." I didn't combine milk and meat in my house because my father told me not to.
Celebrating Passover, Then and Now
Jews all over the world will begin to celebrate Passover with a ritualized meal called the seder, a Hebrew word meaning “order” that refers to the order of the prayers that are recited and the symbolic foods that are eaten
Five Easy Steps for Keeping Passover Simple
Passover can be overwhelming. Why not simplify it? Here are five easy tips for reconnecting with the meaning of the holiday.
Passover as a Vehicle for Personal Reflection and Transformation
Perhaps more than any other holiday, Passover opens wide the doors between our past and our future, between our people and all people.
The Importance of Reading Torah During Your College Years
We encouraged our daughter, Sydney Plovsky, who is a sophomore at Elon University, to read Torah during the High Holidays at her school; growing up, she had been a frequent Torah reader at Temple Emanu
Instant Replay vs. Real Life
A Major League Baseball committee proposed new rules last month for using instant replay to correct the mistakes of umpires – and I’ve been thinking about how much easier things would be if we could just apply those rules to everyday life.
Hey, Cantor! An Elul Q&A with Cantor Mary Rebecca Thomas
We asked clergy across North America which music, books, art, movies and more help them get into a reflective state of mind as they gear up for the High Holidays.
Galilee Diary: Attunement
Sure enough, last week I saw the first chatzav flower of the season – which was actually sort of surprising, as it's been several years since the last leap year, so the holidays are "early" in the solar year this year.