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The Concept of “Home" Defined Through Chuseok and Sukkot
When I lived in South Korea, my Korean family celebrated and taught me about Chuseok, the Korean fall festival holiday. During Chuseok, many Koreans travel back to their hometowns, spend time with their families, and cook and eat a lot of traditional foods. Chuseok is often referred to as "Korean Thanksgiving," but I think Chuseok more strongly resembles Sukkot.
You Shall Have Joy
This week, we read a special portion from the book of Exodus for the holiday of Sukkot that explains, "You shall observe… the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year."
Take a Tour of the Torah!
Torah usually refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Running through these stories is the unique lens through which the Jewish people would come to view their world and their God.
The Power in a Point of View
This week, our Torah portion talks about the founding of our nation, told from a single perspective.
Reform Jewish Leaders Stand with Jewish Students in Opposition to Campus Antisemitism
Recent years have seen an increase in reports of Jewish college students facing antisemitic comments, vandalism, and efforts at exclusion from university-recognized social or academic groups. 2022 has been marred by such controversies at schools like the University of Vermont and UC Berkeley School of Law. This is unacceptable anywhere, but especially in institutions of higher learning, which must be committed to a safe and open community for all students, even while protecting the right to free speech.
Meaningful Accessibility in the Workplace: An Interview with Disability Rights Activist Emily Ladau
Emily Ladau is a Jewish disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant. We sat down with Emily to chat about how Jewish values inform her work and what employers, employees, and coworkers can do to proactively affirm people with disabilities in the workplace.
Support Safer Roads and Immigrant Rights. Vote YES on Question 4!
About five years ago, my husband and I volunteered for a simple task: driving several undocumented residents who were budding activists to a meeting hosted by Cosecha Massachusetts to build support for their campaign for "Licencias Para Todos" (Licenses for Everyone) in Massachusetts.
Sharing the Challenges and Blessings of Being Jewish and New-ish
Our tradition teaches that once someone has converted to Judaism, they are as Jewish as a Jew by birth and we are not to speak of it again with them, or with anyone else. It should be as if they have always been Jewish. To not speak of it is to fully honor the person who chose Judaism by not making any distinctions between them and the born-Jewish members of our communities.
“God sent You”
As we begin the book of B'reishit again, in a world that feels lonely, it helps to remember that we have the cure to loneliness; it is as old as creation itself.
My Shabbat Castle
Since childhood, Friday night dinner has held a special place in my week. My mother lit candles and set the table with an embroidered cloth and pink china. My father recited blessings over a silver kiddush cup filled with wine and an ornate oval plate that held the challah.