In the first century, Rabbi Hillel was asked to explain Judaism in one sentence. His response was not one of belief or theology, but action. And it was specifically about action toward our fellow neighbors, a political answer
Congregation Rodeph Shalom is located on the Upper West Side in New York City. Every year during Passover, the synagogue partners with Harlem’s Memorial Baptist Church for what they call a Third Seder. During this seder these two communities gather together and share stories of slavery and redemption.
These weeks leading up to the High Holidays motivate us to start doing the important, holy work of t’suvah. The word, t’suvah itself means ‘return,’…
This weekend, Bend the Arc, The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), our own Reform Movement’s Religious Action Center (RAC) and others are joining together…
In this portion, the last in Leviticus, God promises heaps of reward and blessing for following the statues. God prefaces all of the blessings with…
I’ve been thinking about memory a lot lately. Two pop culture juggernauts have recently used the concept of memory in thoughtful ways that are appropriate…
This year’s commemoration of Yom Hashoah feels different. We are still reeling from the murder of Lori Gilbert Kaye. Just as Pesach ended, celebrating the…
There’s no way around it, sometimes our Torah is troubling. When dealing with problematic passages from the Torah, we sometimes engage in a kind of…
In 2006 I started my rabbinate in Omaha, Nebraska. Shortly after, I met Debra McKnight. Debra served as the Associate Reverend at the First United…
If there is such a thing as an ideal death, it is described here in Parashat Vay’chi. Jacob is on his deathbed. Joseph is with…