My Passover seder this year was spent in the company of the small Reform Jewish community in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Torah In Haiku: Nitzavim / Vayeilech
Moses warns the people that future generations will suffer punishment "because they have forsaken the covenant" (Deuteronomy 29:24). But he assures them that "you shall call [the blessing and the curse] to mind ... and shall return to Adonai your God." (Deuteronomy 30:1-2)
New Orleans Jews Celebrate Mardi Gras with a Twist
At Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, the open tent imagery from the biblical narrative of Abraham strongly influences our approach to sacred community.
Questioning the Essence of the B’nai Mitzvah
by Kathy Schwartz At a recent breakfast with the chair of the senior rabbi search committee, Congregation Har HaShem’s B’nai Mitzvah Revolution Core Team had the opportunity to speak about what kind of rabbi we were seeking. Our requirements: the rabbi should be willing to embrace change; be willing to partner with us in continuing our exploration of imagining what b’nai mitzvah can be; and must understand that at Har HaShem, professionals and lay leaders do things together. BMR is our joint project.
The Moral Call to Pass the Healthy Families Act
Two Jewish Films You Shouldn't Miss: “Ida” and “Félix and Meira”
Two new award-winning foreign language films examine identity, faith, and family through the lens of improbable relationships that lead to fateful choices.
The Passover Seder: A Night for Love
If I invited you to do a Jewish program for Passover and asked you to please bring a mattress, a bottle of wine, and some kind of aphrodisiac, you would probably look at me askance – maybe even consider having me investiga
From Broadway to Ben Yehuda: English-Speaking Theater Thrives in Jerusalem
February 2009: While most of Israel was consumed by the election for a new Prime Minister, I was engaged in a very different political and dramatic pursuit: Touring the country in Israel Musical's production of 1776.
Making Synagogue a Place to Run To, Not From
The events of my son’s bar mitzvah day don't begin to tell the story of how Max arrived at that moment.