Nitzavim: Launching in North Carolina
How My Uncle, a Painter, Inspired My American Jewish Dream
In the 1920s and 1930s, Jennings Tofel was a part of a group of talented men and women who formed an enclave within American art, a sort of equivalent to the Ecole Juive in Paris. These immigrants brought with them from the old country the Yiddish language, Jewish legend and lore, and art. Uncle Jennings was one of the best-known among this group of unknowns (the Whitney Museum of American Art purchased one of his pictures in 1932), and he became a protégé of American photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
What I Learned When I Volunteered in a German Refugee Shelter
This blog originally appeared on ReformJudaism.org.
What I Learned When I Volunteered in a German Refugee Shelter
When I asked IsraAID where I could go to help refugees, they told me Berlin. I agreed somewhat reluctantly. Germany was the last place I wanted to go. My mother survived Auschwitz; the rest of her family was not as fortunate. I had a visceral dislike for the country and had never intended to visit it – but I have since changed my mind.
Reform Movement Leader Mourns Loss of Life in Nice
Washington, D.C., July 15, 2016 – In response to a deadly attack on French citizens yesterday in the town of Nice, France, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
Discovering the Jew I’m Meant to Be: A Letter from NFTY’s Immediate Past President
While I was busy becoming a Jewish leader, another transformation was happening just below the surface: I was becoming the Jew I’m meant to be.
When "Old" is the New Way of Engaging Jewish Youth
Last week’s Torah portion, Parashat Chukat, tells us how after forty years of journeying through the desert, the people of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Zin. There, Miriam dies and gets buried. Her passing gives me a pause because I feel connected to her.
You Think It Couldn’t Happen at Your Synagogue? So Did I
When I learned there had been 400 men chanting “Jews will not replace us” on the University of Virginia grounds, my first thought was for Congregation Beth Israel.
V’zot Hab’rachah for Teens: Shabbat Sha-raps
Moses blesses the tribes. Listen to this rap to hear a summary of things we’ve learned before Moses says his last words.
Chol HaMo-eid Sukkot for Teens: Shabbat Sha-raps
The Israelites are given more commandments and make a pact. Listen to this fun rap about the holiday.