On the day of most people’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration, it’s normal—and even expected—for nerves to run wild as the ceremony draws closer. But when Diane Silverberg’s special day arrived, a strong sense of calmness and excitement enveloped the congregation at B’nai Tikvah in Deerfield, Illinois, as she walked to the bimah. Though nowadays it’s standard for girls to celebrate their coming of age with a Bat Mitzvah ceremo...
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Rabbis around the country are preparing to deliver some of their most important sermons of 2019 this Rosh Hashanah. We asked three of these rabbis what most inspired them to write these messages. Rabbi Neil Sandler, Ahavath Achim Synagogue of Atlanta, Georgia “More than anything, as I prepare one of the High Holiday messages I will share with my congregation this year, I know that my inspiration is Harry. Yep, without ...
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Nothing calls for a trip to the lake, beach or pool with a great book in hand more than the dog days of summer. Luckily, we have these books for adults and young adults—some by Jewish authors and others with Jewish storylines—for you to add to your summer reading list this month. In Another Time by Jillian Cantor In 1931 Germany, bookshop owner Max Beissinger meets Hanna Ginsberg, a budding concert violinist. I...
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Rabbi Lauren Tuchman Rabbi Lauren Tuchman has always seen life through a different lens. For the now 33-year-old who has been blind since infancy, many things about her growing up were unique to her, and often not easy. But then again, being the “first” at anything never is. After embracing Judaism as a teen, getting access to a braille siddur, learning Hebrew and then finding her way to the Hillel at Dickinson Col...
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Academic reputation, cost and graduation rate are often thought of as the biggest factors students consider when selecting a college to attend. But for incoming freshmen David Glickman, Evan Koss and many other Jewish students around the country, there’s another important dynamic that goes into their college selection. David Glickman will be attending Cornell University, in large part because of the school’s strong Je...
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By Mandi Lou Gross of Congregation B'nai Israel in St. Petersburg, Florida Mandi Lou Gross Incorporating Old World traditions into our modern lives poses a dilemma. As millennial Jewish parents, we try all sorts of tactics to get our kids “into” their heritage. We chant prayers to Disney tunes, we make Pinterest crafts for every Jewish holiday; we scour YouTube for the perfectly entertaining Hanukkah video—whatever...
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In a digital world filled with soundbites, sensationalized headlines, and clickbait articles, it’s becoming harder than ever to distinguish fact from fiction, especially when it comes to the media’s portrayal of Israel. Helping break down barriers through the power of music is HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir, a program of the Zamir Chorale Foundation that is made up of the most talented Jewish singers across...
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Brad Kolodny One night in March 2015, I spent about 20 minutes inside the sanctuary at my synagogue, Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, New York. I was alone with my Canon T5i capturing images of the pews, the bimah and overall room configuration that in less than 12 hours would never be the same. Funds had been raised for a million-dollar renovation and demolition would begin the next day. I wanted to have a photo...
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With Tisha B’Av, the annual day of mourning for tragedies throughout generations, fast approaching, we asked two rabbis, “Where can God be found in response to tragedy?” Rabbi Jeremy Fine, Temple of Aaron of St. Paul, Minnesota “My response begins with a singular guiding principle that I quickly learned in the rabbinate; no two experiences are alike. When a family is in mourning, their reactions to that loss are ...
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Preparing for a wonderful Shabbat Most of us see it every time we go out to eat: young adults and families—sometimes even our own—staring at their phones around the table instead of engaging in meaningful conversation. With research linking depression, anxiety and loneliness to heavy social media and internet use among millennials and younger generations, more young Jews are seeing the importance of unplugging and con...
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