Celebrating Rosh Chodesh in Your Congregation
Rosh Chodesh means “head of the month.” When the new moon appears, the first of each Jewish month begins. In contemporary practice, Rosh Chodesh celebrations begin theShabbat before the new month with the Rosh Chodesh prayer at the conclusion of the Torah reading.
Creating New Rituals and Tradition for the School Year and the New Year
For children, traditions and rituals are significant; they provide predictability, support, and familiarity, while bringing families together and creating unity and a sense of belonging.
A Look at Jewish Life Lately in Shanghai, China
Kehilat Shanghai is always hosting exciting programming for their community and would like to invite you to join whenever you are nearby Shanghai.
This Month in The Tent: Resources for the High Holidays and Beyond
As congregations gear up for the start of 5776 and a new year of activities, programming, and policies and procedures, these conversations in The Tent, the URJ’s online communication and collaboration forum, may prove particularly helpful in planning for the High Holiday season and beyond.
Why Avinu Malkeinu is So Important After the Year We've Had
Every summer, I go through the same routine.
How Meditation is Preparing Me for the High Holidays
In June, I saw a post in a local Facebook group that intrigued me: "Stop! Take a break! Join us for Group Meditation in the City."
The Family Secret That Made Me a Proponent for Choice
After my mother died, I wondered if she’d ever visited her mother’s grave. Then again, my grandmother’s death was not routine.
What Makes a Dessert Jewish?
I’m a big fan of a monthly magazine called Our State, all about North Carolina – a wonderful home for our family for 16 years. Their cover last February set up the challenge "Pie vs. Cake."
In It to Win It: Similarities Between Elul and the Lottery
Aside from a date, what can these two events possibly have in common? Strange as it may seem, there are a few points of comparison.
How the Yom Kippur After Hurricane Katrina Changed Me Forever
“On Rosh HaShanah, the year’s decree is written, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed, who will live and who will die…”