Hanukkah Reconsidered: A Split in the Jewish Soul
I grew up loving this holiday – until I learned the dark side and felt like a kid discovering that there’s no Santa Claus. It turns out Hanukkah is, in part, a tale of Jew vs. Jew.
Fighting Racism in Israel
Ring… ring…
“If you are in contact with a goy and need assistance, press 1,” is the first option offered by Lehava's hotline.
Reclaiming the Public Square with Hanukkah Lights
According to Rashi, we light Hanukkah candles to “publicize the miracle.” What exactly is the miracle we’re publicizing – and what’s the best way for us to do so today?
How the Jewish Holidays Help Us Create a Better World
Each year, the voice that speaks to my soul about the contrast between the inward focus of Yom Kippur and the outward thrust of Sukkot grows louder and louder.
Thanksgivukkah Food: The Ultimate Hybrid Holiday
We're a Multiracial Jewish Family; We Don't Have the Answers, but Here’s a Place to Start
Including Jews of Color or multiracial families for the point of “checking it off the list” needs to bite the dust. Multiracial families do not want to be ignored, but neither do they want to be seen as a way to achieve some sort of board directive
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.
Celebrating Thanksgivukkah, a Once-in-a-Lifetime Holiday
This year, for the first time in history, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will overlap, producing an anomalistic hybrid holiday that’s come to be known as Thanksgivukkah.
New Paths Toward a Very Jewish Summer: Announcing RJ on the Go and Other Digital Programming
While nothing can replace the feeling of being together in person, the URJ is pleased to introduce several exciting opportunities to connect families to Jewish life in a new way this summer – to all those who seek Jewish meaning, purpose, and joy in their homes.