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.
Schindler’s List: Separating Truth from Fiction
What Holocaust Survivors Can Teach Us About Overcoming Trauma
7 Ideas for Observing Yom HaShoah from Home
Health and Hope: Lessons from My Parents, Who Survived the Holocaust
In this time of COVID-19, my mother will likely spend her upcoming 100th birthday sheltering at home with her caregiver. I asked her how this tsura (tragedy) is different from the time of Hitler.
A Poem for Yom HaShoah, Observed Amid a Global Heath Crisis
Today especially
i am grateful for a life to call mine
the bright sunshine
on a day we remember when millions died
Watch: On Yom HaShoah, Reform Jewish Teens Interview a Holocaust Survivor
To close out this year's observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Reform Jewish teen leaders spoke with Holocaust survivor Ralph Rehbock to hear his story and talk about finding hope in times of darkness.
From Tragedy to Celebration, We Honor the State of Israel
Acharei Mot: Love and Death
The opening line of this portion, "The Eternal One spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the Eternal" (Leviticus 16:1), reminds us that the holy is not only attractive, but also dangerous.
The Power of Tears
Why does the Torah mention the deaths of Nadab and Abihu here in Acharei Mot, when the story of their deaths was told in its entirety in Parashat Sh'mini? What is it that the Torah is trying to teach us through this repetition?