Religious Freedom Around the World Today
The State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor released the International Religious Freedom Report for 2013 last week, which describes in great detail the state of religious freedom in ma
Opening a New Book: Lessons From Parashat D'varim
Chasidic tales. The foolish but pious people of Chelm. Folklore. Myths. The Jewish people is a people of storytellers. We use stories to make our points, identify moral and ethical responsibilities, and connect ourselves to an ancient tradition.
Support a Strong Climate Agreement
The UN Climate Summit, set to take place in New York City on September 23rd, is meant to catalyze action on climate change and mobilize political will for a strong global climate treaty at the Paris 2015
On Tishah B'Av, a Response to the Immigration Crisis on the U.S.-Southern Border
Quite often, I remember my great bobe and zayde (grandma and grandpa) and the little village in Belarus they left to make a life here.
The Show Must Go On
Rabbi Tarfon… used to say: It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.
-Mishnah, Avot 2:16
When we started the Galilee Circus (Jewish-Arab youth circus) in 2003, I idly googled “youth circus” and discovered that this is a world-wide phenomenon: there are dozens if not hundreds of youth circus programs, in every corner of the globe. The educational values of circus – trust, courage, cooperation, non-verbal communication, balance, hard work, etc., are universal, and appeal across cultures, from Afghanistan to New Zealand, creating an international language, and network. That Google search led to a partnership with the St. Louis Arches youth circus troupe. They joined the Galilee Circus in 2007 and again in 2010 for two-week joint performance tours in Israel – and hosted the Israeli kids for summer programs in 2008 and 2012. This “Peace through Pyramids” partnership was great for the all the participants – and for the many audiences who were both entertained and inspired.
Finding Meaning in the Space Between: Reflections from a Solidarity Mission to Israel
Anyone who has ever planned a trip knows that a great deal of time and effort is involved. This emergency solidarity mission took us across this country over the five days and provided opportunities to hear from a variety of experts including four Members of Knesset. And without exception, every one of these meetings was of great value.
We Must Battle Hatred on All Fronts
Throughout Jewish history, the three weeks before Tishah B’Av have been mournful, even dark. The Babylonian Talmud (Yoma 9b) explains that the Second Temple was destroyed because of “baseless hatred” (sinat chinam).
The IDF's Newest Soldier: My Son
I’ve been staring at my son's recruitment notice on my fridge for a year now,
A Response to the Cries of Anti-Semitism in France
In the past few days I have received numerous messages of concern from friends from all over the world.