Simultaneous Joy and Pain: The Wisdom of the Counting of the Omer
This year at our Passover seder, I experienced something deeply powerful which I had not felt in the context of Passover before.
On Jewish Unity
I met him on my flight back to Boston from Atlanta. He was a Muslim student from Dubai, I was a Jewish student from the United States. We had come from very different places but were on our way to the same university.
The Music of the Shofar Service
Tekiah! Teruah! Shevarim! Tekiah Gedolah!
Un’taneh Tokef: The Awesome Sanctity of This Day
In the traditional liturgy, the special character of each holiday is particularly conveyed by the piyyutim (hymns, liturgical poems) that are recited or chanted on that day. Most of these piyyutim have been omitted in Reform liturgies since the nineteenth century, out of a sense that their Hebrew diction is too arcane and their theology too medieval. Yet, some of these poems have routinely been retained in Reform High Holy Day prayer books, particularly for Yom Kippur.
What Is the Zionist Message in Israel's Spring Holidays?
Thriving Reform Jewish congregations in Israel can help Israelis meet modern life and all its challenges in today's Promised Land.
6 New Children's Books that are Perfect for Passover
A talking parrot saves the family seder and a moose-musician is eager to host his perfect first Passover meal in a pair of delightful new children's books for the holiday, which this year begins on the night of March 30.
Hide and Seek: Re-Imagining the Rituals of Afikoman
The Passover ritual of the afikoman is wonderfully playful and deeply profound. It was a stroke of pedagogical genius to include a ritual so physical!
The Feminist Seder in the Time of #MeToo
The Feminist Seder was a highlight of my youth. With the explosion of the #MeToo movement, our modern plagues could pack a renewed punch at feminist seders everywhere.
Why We Are Doubly Blessed by Freedom
I love sharing how important the greatest Jewish story ever told – the Exodus, the centerpiece of Passover – was to the original, remarkable leaders of America.