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A man and woman exchanging a Hanukkah gift in a bag patterned with colorful dreidels

Hanukkah: More Than Just Presents?

Katharine Nasielski

This weekend, we will gather together with family or friends (or, if you’re on the RAC staff, with 215 high school students at L’Taken) around the Chanukah lights, spin the dreidel, eat latkes and sufganyot and engage in the great “applesauce or sour cream” debate.

Rise up Maccabean Style for Rights of the Disabled

Rabbi Lynne Landsberg

Raechel Banks

The sages of the Talmud had a debate about how we are to light the Chanukah menorah: Should we begin with eight candles and remove one each night, or begin with one and add through the holiday?

Songs of the Season

Larry Kaufman, z"l

When JanetheWriter reminded her friends on Facebook, 'tis the season to be satiated with the songs of the season, I promised her I would tell my favorite White Christmas story.

Be a Lamplighter: A Reflection on Newtown and Darkness

Rabbi Sari Laufer

I have a bunch of blog posts brewing in my head, but felt like I couldn't write anything until I wrote about Newtown. But, what could I say? What can I say?

The History of Hanukkah Gifts: Is This Custom Really a Jewish One?

The contemporary custom of wrapping presents gifts arose in conjunction with Christmas, but many aspects of gift-giving have distinctly Jewish roots, each of which has helped set the stage for the development of the ritual into what it is today.

Every Day is Labor Day

Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz

Every day is Labor Day. Jewish tradition expounds the importance of work and those who do it. Even God worked for six days and then rested on Shabbat. The Jewish vision of the messianic era is not an age of idleness, but rather one in which swords become plowshares.

Congregational Life: Why I Joined, Why I Stayed

Donald C. Cutler

I was recently asked by someone I very much respect to address "the" question. So I started to write the answer in a post... about five times without any luck. The "Why does a 20-something join a Reform Congregation" question.

Shabbat service in a synagogue sanctuary

Going to Temple? Bring a Friend!

Alan Zeichick

When we love something, we want to share it – so why not be inspired to bring our Jewish friends into the kehilla kedosha (holy community), embracing them within a wonderful, sacred congregation?

Let's Get Sustainable in 5771

This is the first post in our new "Let's Get Sustainable" blog post series - look for an e

From Blasphemy to Blasphemous: An Instructive Transition

May 13, 2017

In Parashat Emor, the Torah reports that a man born of mixed Israelite-Egyptian descent “blasphemed the Name [of God],” was placed on trial, and was stoned to death. A law was then enacted that anyone, Jewish or gentile, who blasphemes the name of God shall be put to death. Over time, in communities throughout the world, laws against blasphemy were put in place to address curses leveled at God as well as perceived slights against some religions.