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Family and Medical Leave Denied to Same-Sex Couples in Non-Marriage Equality States
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law 22 years ago to allow workers to take a maximum 12 weeks unpaid time off of work to care for a new child (including adopted and foster children); care for a sick child; act as a caregiver for a parent; address personal serious health concerns; and care for wounded service members. After the decision in United States v. Windsor, in which the part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defining marriage as between a man and a woman for federal purposes was struck down, the Department of Labor announced that FMLA would apply to eligible employees in same-sex marriages if the employee resided in a state that recognized their marriage. Rachel Laser, Deputy Director of the Religious Action Center, submitted comments last August to the Department of Labor in support of this change when it was proposed.
Four More Passover Questions for the Whole Family
Our tradition teaches us that the Passover Seder is meant to be a learning experience for children of all ages, from 1 - 100. Our questions are more important that the answers. As you prepare to sit around the Seder table, we’d like to offer you some additional questions to help connect the past, present, and future of our Passover traditions.
10 Ways Busy Parents Can Share Judaism With Their Kids
We all lead busy lives, running here and there and everywhere. It can be difficult to find time for ourselves, let alone to nurture a spiritual or religious life. But there are many ways to feel Jewish and to impart Jewish feelings, customs, and knowledge to our children without investing much more time into our already-busy schedules.
Learn About Israel with Shalom Sesame
Learn about Israel's history and culture with Grover and friends in these Shalom Sesame videos, and engage with your children using the discussion ideas and activities.
Can Jews get married on Shabbat?
For centuries, Jewish custom has prohibited marriages at specific dates and times during the Jewish year.
It’s Hard to be a Jew at Christmas, But Even Harder on Tu BiSh’vat
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it can be difficult to be Jewish at Christmas time. It has seeped into North American cultural consciousness so thoroughly that South Park even wrote a song about it, complete with trademark expletives.
How PJ Library® Helped Our Congregation Engage Families with Young Children
Congregation Children of Israel is a 150-family congregation in Athens, GA. As a small congregation, we were looking for creative ways to welcome and engage families with young children, one of our target membership demographics. The answer came in the form of PJ Library®, which enables us to offer book subscriptions to local families raising Jewish children ages six months to 8 years. Our congregation joined the program in 2007, and it has been a huge success.
Emor: Words for the Next Generation
When the Rabbis divided the Torah into its 54 parashiyot (portions), they generally arranged for each portion to begin with a unique or otherwise significant word that would in some way summarize major themes of the entire section.
Double Booked Through the Lens of JDAM: The High Price of Autism
This post originally appeared on June 3, 2014 as part of the RAC's blog series, Double Booked: A Conversation on Working Families in the 21st Century.
By Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr
In November 2010, after more than a decade as a congregational rabbi, I sent my congregation the following letter:
A story is told that before a child is born, his soul peers down from the Heavenly Abode and selects the parents who will be right for him. Having voiced his choice to the Holy One, Blessed be God, the soul is then dispatched to his eagerly awaiting parents.
It is a great responsibility, then, to live up to the expectations and needs of our children who, as this legend teaches, have chosen us because of the belief that we will be the best parents for them.
A Conversation with Leonard Nimoy: The Vulcan Talks Judaism
Nimoy is known in Hollywood not only as an actor of stage and screen, but also as a director and producer. His portrayal of Spock, the logical, intellectual Vulcan in Star Trek, has earned him three Emmys and worldwide fame.