JTA’s 8 Must-Read Jewish News Stories of 5779 These are the Jewish stories that most captured our attention in the year that was and whose…
Posts published in “Chavurah”
“Getting Good at Getting Older”: One Rabbi’s How-To Rabbi Laura Geller’s new book, Getting Good at Getting Older, is a whimsical do-it-yourself guide to empower boomers to…
Remembering Regina Jonas, the First Ordained Female Rabbi Although she never saw anyone who looked like her on the pulpit, Regina Jonas, the first woman…
A Kind of Prayer This original poem touches on faith and belief in God – and discovering the courage to acknowledge the power of prayer.…
The Best Gift My Parents Ever Gave Me I cite my parents’ decision to raise a Jewish family as my gift of a lifetime because…
Gun Violence Prevention: Am I an Activist or an Actor? I don’t want my daughter to know we live in a world in which she…
May We All Be Disciples of Our Aaron Remembering his colleague, friend, and an extraordinary, brilliant human being, Rabbi Rick Jacobs delivered this eulogy at…
The Universal Lessons of the Royal Wedding My take away from the royal wedding: Despite the differences religions sometimes emphasize, a better future lies among…
Marriage Equality: Celebrating Success with More to Do Three years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage. Even as we…
Reform Jews Demand: #FamiliesBelongTogether! On Thursday, a group of 40 faith leaders traveled to McAllen, TX, where they met and bore witness to families who…
Countdown to Tishah B’Av: A Primer on the Three Weeks If you use a Jewish calendar, you may have noticed this notation on June 30:…
How to “Restring Your Beads” When Your Narrative Changes When I first learned about stringing and restringing our beads based on life experiences, I began…
What Can We Learn From the Juxtaposition of Joy and Sorrow? Several times during the year, the Jewish calendar places joyous and challenging holidays near…
Two Musicians and a Liturgist: Creating Music for the New Year Learn the backstory of how a new song, “Creation Sings,” grew from the collaboration…
Reform Judaism: How It Evolved in America In his new book, Steven R. Weisman offers a compelling narrative about the formation of the Jewish religion…
Carrying the Spirit of Sukkot Into the Rest of the Year Israel is more than what makes the headlines. It is also filled with people…
What Can We Learn from a Chasidic Melody? Nigunim, wordless melodies, can take numerous forms: some are fast and energetic, others are ponderous and slow,…
Visiting When Someone in the Family is Ill When we visit the sick, it is our job to be present, kind, and ready to listen, all of…
The Small Miracle I Found in a Tel Aviv Café Accompanying student groups to the Kotel repeatedly reminds me that Israel is a place like…
How to Honor a Parent Who Can No Longer Remember Your Birthday Judaism places great importance on memory. But where do our obligations to remember…