Why Be in a Chavurah Group in Your Synagogue? When we were new to our synagogue, it was forming chavurah groups. As soon as I…
Posts published in “Chavurah”
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…
“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.…
There’s More Than One Way to Spell Shalom More than peace, shalom means well-being, health, wholeness, and prosperity. How can we achieve this precious blessing…
Remembering the Holocaust Brings a Country Together Yom HaShoah is a day of mourning in Israel. Many stores close, music on the radio reflects the…
An Israeli Hospital of Humanity and Hope On a recent visit to Israel, I witnessed extraordinary acts of human kindness at a hospital near the…
A Divine Blessing of Food and Security With more than 40 million Americans struggling to put food on the table, gifts of food affirm the…
Elegy for a Character: A Tzedakah Story Renee was a character, often exasperating those who didn’t “get” her. She also understood the true value of…
What the Bible Really Says: A Prayer for Those Who Love Humanity and Our Texts As someone who loves a religion that holds the texts…
An American Reflects on Independence Day from Israel July 4th in Israel is a day sandwiched between July 3rd and July 5th. Nonetheless, after work…
How My Family’s Immigrant History Influences My Values Today What happens when we let unfounded fear of one another obstruct our nation’s heritage of acceptance…
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…