Want to be Happy? Take a Lesson From Jewish Tradition
Before we left the house as kids, my dad always asked, “Is everybody happy?” Learn what Jewish tradition has to say about happiness.
Chatting With Jesus in the Sukkah
During Sukkot, we customarily invite famous people from the past to be guests in the sukkah. This year, I would like to invite Jesus as my guest.
The Jewish Calendar
60 Years a Rabbi: What I Learned from My Rabbinic Mentors
Six decades have not diminished my appreciation of the rabbinic mentors who symbolically escorted me to rabbinical school and upon whose shoulders I stand.
Can Jews Get Married on Shabbat?
For centuries, Jewish custom has prohibited marriages at specific dates and times during the Jewish year.
Hanukkah: From Battleground to Festival of Lights
The Hebrew word Hanukkah means “dedication” and refers to the joyous eight-day celebration through which Jews commemorate the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and “rededication” of the Temple in Jerusalem.
A Shavuot Social Action Guide
Why Advocacy is Central to Reform Judaism
What happens on each night of Hanukkah?
Two blessings are chanted or recited every night of Hanukkah. The first is a blessing over the candles themselves. The second blessing expresses thanks for the miracle of deliverance. A third blessing—the Shehecheyanu prayer, marking all joyous occasions in Jewish life—is chanted or recited only on the first night.
Why I’m Not Hiding My Religion Any More
I tried to hide my religion during my entire childhood. When I look back, I wonder who I was kidding.