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?
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
It Is No Dream: How to Connect Preschool Families to the Congregational Community
Here's how one Chicago-land congregation successfully deepened its engagement with families with young children.