COVID-19

Blessing First Fruits in a Time of Plague

D'Var Torah By: Rabbi Max Chaiken

August 26, 2020

I do not believe, as Torah describes, that God directly acts in our world, or that the COVID-19 plague is some kind of Divine message. But I do believe that in the face of disease, suffering, and evil, God weeps with us; and when we aspire to holiness regardless of our circumstance, God celebrates with us. And the more we keep these ideals in mind, the better we can build a world worthy of blessing.

Rabbi Max Chaiken wears a green shirt and blows the shofar

Jewish Values

Navigating COVID: Our Ancestors Pointed the Way

Aron Hirt-Manheimer

August 25, 2020

Rabbi Max Chaiken, our Ten Minutes of Torah commentator for the Book of Deuteronomy, is the associate rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Los Angeles, CA. We talk to him about his Jewish journey and the ideas behind his commentaries.

Two pomegranates sitting on a black reflective surface with their mirror images shown below

Jewish Values

Introducing a Meaningful New Way to Reflect This High Holiday Season

Rabbi Esther L. Lederman

Rabbi Leora Kaye

August 20, 2020

If the High Holidays were to be pared down to their very essence, what are some words and phrases that might come to mind?

Belonging. Connection. Memory. An accounting of the soul.

These are just some of the words that drove the creation of the URJ...

Aerial view of hands holding a Yahrzeit memorial candle

High Holidays

The URJ Reflection Project: Go Deeper on “The Memorial”

Rabbi Esther L. Lederman

Rabbi Leora Kaye

August 19, 2020

The rituals of our tradition help us reflect on the reality and permanence of death and loss, remind us of our need for belonging and connection to others, and keep us tethered to the beauty of living.

Israel

In the Streets of Israel: Why Israelis Have Been Protesting

Joshua Scharff

August 11, 2020

The protest movement, whose roots can be traced back to the original shutdown, has grown week over week. What began as several hundred people has swelled to more than 10,000 a few weeks ago.