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Project Ezra
Non-profit organization that serves the Jewish elderly of the Lower East Side in New York City. Community Contact Information: Project Ezra New York, NY www.projectezra.org Goals: Provide comfort to elderly Jews. Welcome elderly Jews into the synagogue for a special day of honor.
Small but Mighty
“When you grow up, you’ll understand.” Have you heard this sentiment recited to young people by parents, and perhaps teachers who didn’t know the answer to a probing question, or were simply hesitant to approach it? It framed generations, in a way. Set boundaries. But in a time when we have just recently witnessed a 17-year-old becoming the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate to date – I’d say the sentiment has expired.
This Yom Kippur, Let Your Emotions Serve as "Radical Blessings"
As we no longer serve God through temple sacrifices, many Jews have come to understand the entire world, in essence, to be God’s temple. This year, I believe we have vandalized God’s temple with the blood of the innocent.
The Days of Awe, Community, and "Relational Judaism"
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam, a distinguished Hasid, told a parable about the Days of Awe of a man who is lost in the woods. Just when he is losing hope, he runs into another person and is filed with joy, exclaiming "Brother, tell me which is the right way. I have been wandering for days." His fellow responds by saying that he, too, has been wandering, and is sure that his way is also the wrong way. He reassures, him however, that working with each other, they can find a new way out – together.
This story underscores a core principle of the Days of Awe: They are inherently relational. The word "relational" is in danger of becoming so overused as to become meaningless, but it is critical – and during these days of teshuvah (return, repentance) and s’licha (forgiveness), the central role of relationship in Judaism comes even more into focus. These are the very days in which we reflect deeply on our relationships to others; who have we slighted? With whom must we repair? The focus of these High Holidays is actually a reminder that Judaism calls individuals into relationship all year round.
NFTY and BBYO: Two Movements, One Mission
By Ariel Schwartz
NFTY, the Reform Jewish Youth Movement, and BBYO are two incredible Jewish teen movements that aim to engage Jewish teens across the world. Though they are organized and operate differently, cherish different histories, and engage different types of Jewish teens, ultimately they both work to build a stronger Jewish future. I am proud to be an active member of both BBYO and NFTY.
Exodus! 40 Hours of Service for 40 Years in the Desert
Congregation organizes 40 hours worth of volunteer activities around Passover. Community Contact Information: Northwestern University Hillel www.nuhillel.org Goals: Draw connection between Passover and tikkun olam. Encourage volunteer service.
HEART Program: Help Educate and Renew Trust
A synagogue and an African American Baptist Church united to create an after-school academic enrichment program. Community Contact Information: Temple Sinai Worcester, MA http://www.templesinaiworcester.org/ Goals: Provide tutoring services to academically at-risk children.
22,202 CE: A Year With No Rosh HaShanah
Soon, Jews around the world will celebrate the beginning of the Jewish new year, 5781, and many of us will do so not from our synagogues as usual, but rather from our homes, looking into our computer sc
Let's Talk About Food: Temple Sinai (Toronto, ON)
Temple Sinai in Toronto engages with food, sustainability, and social justice through worship, educational programming, and direct action.
Hiddush’s Newest Report Shows Overwhelming Support for Freedom of Expression
Months after the Jewish Federations of North America launched a new initiative, iREP, to promote freedom of expression and marriage in Israel, a new report reveals that over two-t