Rosh Chodesh
Literally, “head of the month.” Rosh Chodesh marks the beginning of each Hebrew month when there is a new moon (when there is no moon visible in the sky).
How to Use the URJ Reflection Tool
7 Things to Know About Selichot
How to Get into the High Holidays State of Mind
How to Turn Your Home into a Sanctuary for the High Holidays
The Day the Music Died: Jewish Lessons from a Previous Plague
A New Moment to Come Together Against Islamophobia
This week, the Jewish community celebrates Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, a holy day that continues through today.* While we in the Jewish community are celebrating a new month, the Muslim community is observing Eid al-Fitr, one of two Muslim festival holidays commemorating the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of the month of Shawwal.
This confluence of celebrations is bound to happen because both Judaism and Islam follow a lunar calendar. But even the fundamental fact that both faith traditions follow a lunar calendar is an important reminder that we have more in common than what makes us different. The coinciding holidays remind us to celebrate the similarities of our faith traditions, exploring the values, teachings, or practices that unite us.
High Holidays 2020/5781: Tools to Make Them Meaningful
As we approach the most unusual High Holidays in recent memory, ReformJudaism.org is here to help you find ways to observe, celebrate or commemorate the holiday season that work best for you. Here are some helpful tips.
We Stood Together at Sinai: We May Stand Together at the Kotel, Too
I grew up in a home with my single mother and two sisters. My mother had one sister, two nieces, and one nephew. When my mother died, our synagogue shipped in the men of the traveling shiva minyan to say Kaddish for her the night of her funeral.
Responding to Narrowness With Strength and Courage
Last night, in both Phoenix and Jerusalem, those who benefit most from the status quo rallied to defend it, vilifying those seeking change and social progress.