By Gary Wexler Several of my close friends’ children who are in their late 20s and early 30s - graduates of day schools; alums of Jewish camps, Israel trips and junior years abroad at Tel Aviv and Hebrew Universities; former Birthright trip leaders; recipients of every scholarship, funded journey, fellowship and grant the Jewish community bestowed upon Generation Next - claim they will not set foot in Israel because of the Palestinian … [Read more...] about Can We Separate the Soul of Israel From Its Politics?
Readers Forum
Thoughts on Rabbi Yisroel Avraham Portugal
By David M. Mallach Last week, Rabbi Yisroel Avraham Portugal passed away at the age of 95. The Skulener Hassidim, whose rebbe he was, is composed of at most a few hundred families but over 25,000 people attended his funeral in Borough Park. To appreciate the significance of this it is helpful to understand some of the recent trends in the Hassidic world. Born in Moldova/Romania, he had lived in the US since 1960. The neighborhood of … [Read more...] about Thoughts on Rabbi Yisroel Avraham Portugal
A Needed Change in Jewish Leadership
By Rabbi Evan J. Krame Some leaders of American Jewish Organizations have been in power for 20, 30 even 40 years. Is that good for the Jews? I don’t think so. I believe that there is a moral imperative to effectuate orderly and regular leadership transitions in the Jewish nonprofit sector. Transitions can make an organization stronger, even when the transition involves replacing a successful leader or organization founder. The failure to plan … [Read more...] about A Needed Change in Jewish Leadership
Reconsidering Moses:
An Adoption Story
By Jayne K. Guberman and Jennifer Sartori
In this Passover season, we have been reflecting on the story of the Exodus from Egypt and its central figure, Moses. As adoptive mothers and founders of the Adoption & Jewish Identity Project (AJIP), our understanding of Moses’s life is perhaps different than most. Although Moses is often held up as the paradigmatic story of Jewish adoption, the biblical narrative in fact recounts a very … [Read more...] about Reconsidering Moses:
An Adoption Story
Seeing with New Eyes:
One Synagogue’s Interfaith Inclusion Journey
By Jared Susco
I remember the first time I brought my husband (who grew up with Methodism) to our synagogue's community seder that he was far more confused than I had expected. He first couldn't understand that the start time was approximate, having been accustomed to the martial precision of New England Christian services. In the early years of these seders, people brought their own seder plates, and he wanted to know why a lady had pulled a … [Read more...] about Seeing with New Eyes:
One Synagogue’s Interfaith Inclusion Journey
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