I adapted this prayer for Jewish World Watch, the is a hands-on leader in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities, engaging individuals and communities to take local actions that produce powerful global results. JWW is about to embark on a fact finding mission to the Congo, and will share this prayer with the survivors …
These days I am feeling overjoyed, overwhelmed and at peace with all that is happening at Congregation Or Ami. Overjoyed: I love to watch the reactions as people stop by our newly remodeled synagogue. With wide eyes and big smiles, each exclaims in amazement how beautiful our synagogue home looks. [Stop by sometime to see …
On July 10, 2011, Congregant Or Ami member Matthew Simon, who has Fragile X Syndrome, joined 28 other young adults with special needs and staff on a 10 day Birthright trip to Israel. They toured the country, learned about Judaism, rode donkeys and camels, slept in a Bedouin tent, and prayed at the Wall in …
In New York, they are celebrating. For marriage equality have finally been extended in the great state of New York to all its citizens, heterosexual and homosexual. We schepp nachas (share the joy) too, because a step forward in one state is a step forward for our country. Here in California, we should be celebrating …
Impotence. It is a terrifying word to most men, as it leads them to face fears of a loss of their potency. For most, it connotes an end to sexual strength, the power of the male of our species. And it affects many, for many different medical and/or psychological reasons. Thankfully, there are some powerful …
My new friend, Alden Solovy, who is currently wandering around Israel seeking holiness and direction, wrote another meaningful meditation. In an existence in which each moment of each day is suffused with holiness, his prayer reminds us that we need only to open ourselves to sense this holiness. Read this prayer now, then print it …
No one should end up in the infirmary during a summer at camp. Or God forbid, in the hospital. Summer is about freedom from all the cares in the world. But it occasionally it happens. And when it does, during an emergency, that’s when you can truly take measure of the place you send your …
Today I signed on as a co-sponsor of a letter by the Faith Coalition for the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The UAFA legislation ends the long-standing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrant families. The letter, with the support of the Union for Reform Judaism, our national synagogue organization, says: Dear Honorable Senators and …
Today at the San Francisco Pride Parade, we couldn’t have been more proud! 42 teens from the URJ Camp Newman‘s Avodah session ventured into San Francisco to walk and celebrate. Adorned in their purple camp t-shirts, and led ably by Avodah Director Aaron Bandler (a future rabbi??), our 16-year olds danced Israeli folk dances up …
We gathered together, a dozen Jewish tenth graders and me, their camp rabbi, for discussions about God. I sat them down and, figuring we were about to share some deep thoughts, I invited them to introduce themselves by explaining why they chose this group. Some didn’t believe but wanted to find a way to believe. …
Simcha – Joy Judaism, according to one accounting, has at least 15 different words to describe joy. From rina (meaning joyous song) to simcha (meaning pure joy), Jewish living is supposed to be an expression of joyous living. I have learned over the course of the years that while simcha (joy) is possible even during …
The older teens become, the stupider parents sometimes feel. There’s something about having teenagers that is the great equalizer. Teenagers, halfway between childhood and adulthood, have more knowledge and sometimes less wisdom. As they struggle to with their newfound knowledge and relatively greater life experience, they sometimes overreach and appear to “know it all.” In …
They say you can’t go home again. But when the intervening years have brought distance, maturity and humility, you can at least visit. I loved my alma mater, Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut; especially it’s small classes, intense conversations, and accessible faculty. I left with fond memories, a wider perspective on the world, and a …
Sitting in the airport, waiting for my red-eye, I’m amazed by how easily zoned out I can become in the midst of the cacophony of this bustling airport. Like any modern, wired up traveler, I’m sitting here, plugged into the Samsung Mobile charging station, with my computer, Verizon MiFi broadband, and my iPhone. I’m perusing …
If you only read one thing about the Middle East this week, read this. David Harris, Executive Director, AJC and Senior Associate at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, reflects on the actual history of the war and its aftermath, as well as attempts to rewrite that history. [Originally published in Huffington Post] Mention the word …