Jewish Learning

Person wearing a purple prayer shawl and holding a prayer book

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

Rabbi Esther L. Lederman

Rabbi Leora Kaye

August 15, 2021

As part of the URJ Reflection Project, a new set of offerings and experiences for the High Holidays in a time of social distance, we’ve also developed three short essays that allow you to go deeper into the essence of Jewish wisdom that grounds these rituals.

Jewish Learning

Our Needs Are a Gift of God

Rabbi Sandra Cohen

May 26, 2021

This prayer from Birkot HaShachar, the traditional morning blessings, reminds us to be grateful when we awake for every day.

Menorah with Statue of Liberty candle holders

Jewish Values

14 Ways to Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

Kate Bigam Kaput

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, established by President George W. Bush in 2006. Learn more about the history of the month… then get to work celebrating it!

Yellow alarm clock fading away at the edges as if to represent the passage of time

Counting of the Omer

The Omer: Finding Hope and Wisdom in the Counting of Time

Rabbi Allison Berry

April 1, 2021

Counting is never more important than between Passover and Shavuot; we call this ritual counting the Omer. Each day we recite a blessing marking that this period of time is meant to be one time of reflection, revelation, and change.

Group of students standing in an ancient cave with a teacher at the front

Israel

Teaching the Biblical Period Builds a Foundation for Jewish Identity

David Alon

March 30, 2021

The Tanach is our owner’s manual. If we want to operate this complex thing we call Jewish identity, it’s probably worth reading the instruction book. Are we doing enough to engage on a daily basis with our ancient sources?