Month: June 2018

Adolescence is rough. We have all been there, and we all survived the confusing hormonal tumult of rapid development, both physical and intellectual, with greater or lesser coefficients of personal friction throughout those years. We are all veterans of those awkward years, and seeing a new crop of young people marching inexorably into the fray might evoke visceral memories of…

I am a product of the Reform movement. I grew up in a Reform household, never keeping kosher or Shabbat. I belonged to a Reform temple, never wearing a tallit or kippah except at my Bar Mitzvah. I attended a Reform Jewish summer camp beginning at the age of five and will return this year for my twentieth summer. So…

The next time you attend a Jewish event, you may want to play a fun, tongue-in-cheek game. Try to keep track of how many times the phrase “Jewish community” is said, in any context. You probably already know that it might be hard to keep track. All religious groups and peoples have communities, yet in ours the phrasing of it…

It feels like Thanksgiving. The smell of a delicious homemade meal waiting to be served. The way the community members sit around one long table as a family—supportive, respectful, and open to dialogue. The sound of voices together in song—Hine Ma Tovhas become a community favorite. The way we celebrate our blessings, grapple with injustice, and pray for peace. No…