What Children Can Teach Us at Rosh HaShanah
A deep spiritual life is hard to find. While opportunities abound for spiritual connections (yoga, meditation, retreats and the like), for most of us it doesn’t come easy.
The Remarkable Growth of Reform Judaism in Spain
I have been going to Spain every year since 2008 in order to help Bet Shalom in Barcelona, a small nascent Reform congregation, with its programs and religious services.
Dancing in the Palm of God’s Hand
I can't seem to find a starting place in writing my reflections of Rosh HaShanah. It has become a tangled ball of string, and I’m not able to coax out a single strand. I thought about starting at the end. I could, but I don't know what that is either.
Vodou Rock and Cherry Manischewitz: Reflections of a Jew Visiting Haiti
At the last count of the World Jewish Congress in 1997, there were 25 Jews living in Haiti. There is no native Jewish population to speak of in what is currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
A Trip to the Mikveh: Finally, Finally Jewish
The words have never been sweeter. After 14 years of waiting, searching, hoping and dreaming, I am finally, finally Jewish.
The Nudge of Selichot
After 10 weeks of swimming, biking, walking at the ocean's edge, and rationalizing that it's too hot for tennis, Saturday night Selichot services appear on my calendar as the call back from the freedom of su
What's In a Jewish Name?
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." (William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet)
Winning the Freedom to Marry: Jewish Values, Jewish Voices
The vast majority of Jewish people support the freedom to marry, knowing that strengthening gay families helps many and harms no one. The freedom to marry is not about forcing any rabbi or synagogue – or, for that matter, any priest, minister, imam, mosque, or church – to perform a ceremony.
Through Time and Space: A Visit to Historic Jewish Sites
Is 10 days enough time to fall in love with Israel? Absolutely. Is 10 days enough time to make a sincere and meaningful connection to the land and people? It turns out that it is.
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