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“That I May Dwell Among Them…”
In this week’s Torah portion (Parshat Terumah, Exodus 25:1-27:19), God instructs Moses how Israel should make the sanctuary. He tells Moses, “וְעָשׂוּ ...
That Time My Jewish Mother Braved New York Winter Travel to Visit Me in Mississippi
The way I see it, there are two major milestones in making a new city really feel like home. The ...
After Creating Change: Standing in Solidarity
This past weekend, the National LGBTQ Task Force convened its annual Creating Change Conference. Founded in 1998, the Task Force’s ...
Personal/History: Teaching the Next Generation about the AIDS Crisis
I spent the evening of November 3rd weeping. I’d been teaching Tony Kushner’s Angels in America to my high school ...
Can I Hear You Now?
“When the reception goes down, the volume goes up.” These were the sage words of one of my honored teachers ...
Breaking the Cycle of Unwelcome in Jewish Life
For many of us going to a new synagogue or Jewish environment is tough. We spend time beforehand wondering if ...
A Southern Reunion… In Israel!
Hi there! Remember me? Just last year, I was traveling all over the South serving wonderful communities as an ISJL ...
Beyond Despair, Our Responsibility to the Children of Newtown
What has changed in the three years since Newtown? The children and teachers of Sandy Hook Elementary were no different ...
Modern Maccabees: An African Hanukkah Story
This year, Hanukkah has special meaning for the Abayudaya Jews of Uganda. Hanukkah is not a major holiday like Shabbat or ...
For My Camper, Ezra Schwartz
As I approached the Temple Sinai of Sharon, Massachusetts the words of King David’s Psalms could be heard from the ...