How My Congregation Acts as a Family for Older Members without Relatives
Our synagogue runs a group for temple members aged 48 and up who are anticipating – or already experiencing – the challenges of growing older without family to rely upon for practical and emotional support.
What a Syrian Refugee Family Taught Me About Freedom
Two Syrian refugee sisters were reunited in Chicago last week. Now they stand on the brink of a new life in a new Land of Promise.
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.
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?
A Passover Family Activity: Which of the Four Children Are You?
Building a B'nei Mitzvah Community, One Retreat at a Time
Read about how one congregation infused the beginning of its b’nei mitzvah process with something more meaningful than a date assignment, and found ways to connect their b'nei mitzvah families to each other.
Teaching Children About Passover: Why is This Night Different?
Capital Area New Mainers Project
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.
Going to Temple? Bring a Friend!
When we love something, we want to share it – so why not be inspired to bring our Jewish friends into the kehilla kedosha (holy community), embracing them within a wonderful, sacred congregation?