Rabbi David Saperstein: Re-inventing Chanukah in America
This post originally appeared on the Washington Post’s “On Faith” column on December 24, 2011.
The Jewish Commitment to Religious Liberty from the Maccabees to Present Day
This post was written by RAC Legislative Assistant Molly Benoit as part of the Union for Reform Judaism's "Ten Minutes of Torah" series. As a child of the 90’s I learned the Chanukah story in many contexts, from the traditional religious school recounting of the miraculous oil to the mem
The Miracle of (Solar) Light at Temple Sinai
Every Day is Labor Day
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.
Oy Tannenbaum!
It was over brunch on our fourth date when I told him, "This can't go anywhere...I’m Jewish and you’re not." After years of Jewish camp, Hebrew school and lectures from my parents, I was fairly certain that the eleventh commandment was “Thou shalt meet a nice Jewish boy, get married and have beau
In Memoriam Faye Tillis Lewy
With profound sorrow, the Officers, Board of Trustees and staff of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations mark the death of our esteemed friend and colleague, Faye Tillis Lewy.
Galilee Diary: Uncertainty Principle
The details of the lunar cycle have been understood for thousands of years.
My Homeland, My Self, part 1
Israel is the new frontier of Reform Judaism. Since the 1990s the number of Progressive/Reform congregations and minyanim has doubled from 15 to 30, many of them served by native Israeli rabbis ordained at our Movement seminary in Jerusalem. Five thousand families send their children to Reform-affiliated schools, and last year a record 50,000 Israelis attended Progressive High Holy Day services throughout the country.
A Special Worship Service for Jews with Disabilities and Their Families
Becoming a Jewish Family
“So, how many children do you want?” Not an unusual question for a man to ask his girlfriend when he is beginning to think about a future with her. However, when I heard this question, it came from the cute, industrious Israeli I had been dating for about six months and I actually lau