A little more than two weeks after lighting the candles for Yom HaShoah on May 1, Temple Israel in Sharon, Massachusetts, will be concluding an incredible Holocaust Memorial Scrolls Trust restoration project that will ensure a valuable piece of Jewish history will be cherished for generations to come. On May 19, the synagogue will officially bring back to life a more than 200-year-old Torah scroll rescued from the Holo...
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Conservative rabbis give their take on the question: How should we as Jews approach immigration according to the Torah? Rabbi David Russo, Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago, Illinois: “Time and again, the Torah repeats how we must treat the stranger: You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 23:9) When a stranger resid...
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(Left to right): Couples Shmuel and Anat Carmel, Aviad and Tsion Raz and Sahar Malk and Ilia Rabkin traveled from Israel to Washington, D.C. to have their wedding ceremony. Shmuel Carmel was born in Israel, served in the Israel Defense Forces and devoted his life to Judaism. But because his mother was deaf and could not “hear” the words of Torah when she converted to Judaism from Christianity, the Chief Rabbinate didn...
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When people picture what it means to live in a diverse society, many envision individuals of all races, religions and genders coming together in harmony. But as 17-year-old Jordan Tralins recently pointed out to her synagogue Congregation B’nai Israel of St. Petersburg, there’s another component of diversity that can’t be overlooked—ability. During Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month in February, Jordan too...
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In honor of Mother’s Day, Rabbi Eve Posen, assistant rabbi with Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland, Oregon and co-author of the book Pirkei Imahot,the Wisdom of Mothers, the Voices of Women, shares her two favorite “pearls” of wisdom gleaned from looking at Jewish texts from a woman’s perspective. Here’s some other great life advice from Jewish moms—as sometimes mothers really do know best: “Never judge people fo...
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When Joel Hertz had his Bar Mitzvah, he spoke so well that people said, “Oh, you should be a lawyer.” “I was good in history and social sciences and always interested in reading,” he recalls, “and I liked to argue.” Decades later, Joel, who lives in Toronto in Ontario, Canada, has built a career for himself doing just that—and then some. In 1979, he was called to another kind of bar—the Ontario Bar Association—and went o...
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Thousands of years after Ruth—the “mother of all converts”—told her mother-in-law Naomi in the Book of Ruth, “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people will be my people and your God will be my God,” large numbers of non-Jews from around the U.S. have been embracing Judaism as their religion of choice—in fact, current estimates show 1 in 6 American Jews are converts. While it’s one thin...
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A lot has changed since the time Rabbi Adam Kligfeld of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, California, served as USY international president in 1990 and 2019 when his eldest daughter Noa stepped into the same role. Here, the two talk about the differences 30 years makes, plus what serving meant/means to them and how one another’s leadership inspires their own. https://youtu.be/9ll3s_Zunc8 Also, be sure to watch: A...
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An hours-long Passover seder can feel longer than the 40 years our ancestors spent wandering the desert for young kids full of energy and wonder. So, what’s the key to keeping them engaged? Bring the experience down to their level with simple explanations and infuse it with fun and interactivity. What’s the Story? According to PJ Library, which celebrates Jewish culture, values and tradition through the joy of storybo...
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By Michelle Collins Michelle Collins My first memory of realizing I was different was in elementary school. I attended a public school, and we occasionally had catered lunches. I have a vivid memory of crying at the lunch table because everyone was eating hamburgers and I couldn’t. What a drama queen, amirite? I’m sure I didn’t go hungry that day. I’ve kept kosher my whole life. Even though I grew up in a subur...
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