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Reform Leaders Protest Klinghoffer Opera
In response to recent controversy over the Metropolitan Opera's production The Death of Klinghoffer, Reform Movement leaders sent the following letter to Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb:
Dear Mr. Gelb, We join with other Jewish leaders in expressing our disappointment and dismay about the staging by the Metropolitan Opera of "The Death of Klinghoffer." While we acknowledge steps you have taken to curtail the presentation of the opera to a simulcast audience and to allow the Klinghoffer family to convey their view of the opera to your audiences, we regret your decision to present the opera at the Met.
Oh, Canada
This blog doesn't have any profound insight or prescriptions for change. It is simply an expression of the great sadness I and so many other Canadians feel about yesterday’s horrifying attack on Parliament Hill. That sadness, and wishes for a full recovery, extends to those who were injured by the gunman and, of course, the family of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was standing guard at the National War Memorial when he was shot in the abdomen and killed.
3 Previously Frowned-Upon Behaviors to Embrace During the High Holidays at Home
The new normal of distanced coronavirus kehilla t'filah (communal prayer) offers new ways to enhance your Home High Holidays. Consider these three previously banned behaviors to warm up your worship.
Meet the Netflix Star Who Plays an African-British-Jewish Astronaut
Ato Essandoh isn’t Jewish, or British, or an astronaut — but he plays an African-British-Jewish astronaut on TV.
What does the “freedom to choose” really mean?
Reproductive rights refer to the freedom to choose when, if and how to have a family. While many associate the phrase exclusively with abortion, it encompasses much more.
Prayer is Beautiful: Scenes from a Diverse Hebrew Class
Something special is going on in this class: Youth and middle age. Muslim, Christian, and Jew. Arab and Israeli. Secular and religious.
When Personal Safety Proves an Obstacle to Voting
During my senior year of college, I worked as a courtroom advocate at the St. Louis County Domestic Violence Court, a division of the court system that deals exclusively with orders of protection in cases of domestic violence. I worked with petitioners to create or improve their safety plan (i.e. what strategies did they use to keep themselves as safe as possible from their abuser?) and to connect people to resources available in our community, like counseling programs, employment assistance, shelters and transitional housing, and legal services. Throughout my year at the court, I watched hundreds of petitioners share evidence of their abuse before the judge, who asked the same, simple question every time: "Does your abuser’s behavior make you fear for your safety?"
Early Childhood Education Centers on the Brink: Coming Together to Address Crisis
Although the pandemic has not altered the overall mission of our sacred work – to engage the next generation of families with young children on their Jewish journey – it has further amplified our sense of urgency and is helping to redefine and clarify our goals and priorities.
Ensuring That A Permanent Home Is Not a Prerequisite to Voting
This week, we will read Parashat Noach, which tells the story of Noah and the flood. In this parashah (Torah portion), as the flood came upon the Earth over the course of seven days, Noah and his family took shelter in the ark, along with all the animals that “went two and two … into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah” (Genesis 7:8). Though the rain continues for forty days and forty nights, “Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark,” and they were safe (Genesis 7:23). Every animal was represented, and everyone was provided the shelter that would provide them with safety.
As Election Day approaches, we are reminded of the importance of making ourselves heard in our democratic process. It is crucial that as many people who can vote have the ability to get to the polls. For those who are homeless, however, registering to vote and getting to the polls can be especially challenging.
Double Booked: In Massachusetts, Ballot Question 4 Brings Us Home
By Rabbi Matthew Soffer
When I read the language Question 4 (a ballot question to ensure earned sick time in the Commonwealth), and I contemplate how Jewish values relate, I'm drawn particularly to that fundamental paradigm of home vs. exile, which is so central to Judaism. Obviously, the emergence of the State of Israel gave physical, geographical shape to that exile/home binary, but fundamentally we know that exile vs. home is a metaphysical issue. That our tradition demands that we recognize exile when we see it, that we mourn over it, and that we fight to come home.
From the literal exiles of 586 BCE to 70CE, and in the Rabbinic Period when the bayit (the home), the dinner table to be more specific, according to one Talmudic voice, replaced the altar in the Temple: fighting to come home, in our tradition, is "how we roll."