How Can We Deal with the So-Called "December Dilemma"?
The challenges and contradictions of being a Jew in America are never more obvious than in the month of December. Christmas is unavoidable from before Thanksgiving until well after New Year's. Every year, I wonder how much I should participate in the hoopla.
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.
The Three Lies We Tell About Hanukkah
There probably is no holiday on the Jewish calendar that has been redefined more than Hanukkah. In each age, this holiday has been transformed to suit the issues and concerns of its time.
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
From Blasphemy to Blasphemous: An Instructive Transition
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.
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife: A Study of Moral Ambivalence
The portion Vayeishev contains astounding examples of bad behavior: Joseph maligns and humiliates his brothers; they, in turn, respond by selling Joseph to the Ishmaelites; Judah and Tamar become involved in a charade of dismal consequences; and, of course, Joseph, onc