Here are 17 things your congregation can do infuse your congregation with Israel! Establish Israel Committee/Team Put Israel in your Congregation’s mission statement Make Israel a core value of your congregation Make Israel a component of Congregational Education Become an ARZA membership congregation Run a campaign for the World Zionist Congress elections Frequent Israel programming […]
Background Memo on the Impact of Proposed Policies called for by Israel’s New Government What’s at Stake: The enactment of many of the policies called for by members of the coalition, most particularly Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chair Simcha Rothman – endorsed by PM Netanyahu — would constitute, or […]
For the past several weeks, the aggressive legislative agenda of the Israeli government’s ruling coalition has inspired the most powerful protest movement in Israel’s history. Though we were relieved to learn that PM Netanyahu finally responded last week by issuing a temporary pause to the legislation, this pause came at an exorbitant price: in the […]
June 21, 2024 – ט״ו סִיוָן תשפ”ד וְהִבְדַּלְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם מִתּ֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֖י הַלְוִיִּֽם׃ (במדבר ח:יד) “Thus you shall set the Levites apart from the Israelites, and the Levites shall be Mine.” (Numbers 8:14) Are rabbis in short supply? Well, according to a February expose in The Atlantic, they are… in America. But, […]
June 14, 2024 – ח׳ סִיוָן תשפ”ד This week our emotions ran high after the heroic and inspiring rescue of Noa Argaman, Shlomi Ziv, Almog Meir-Jan, and Andrei Kozlov, and the tragic loss of Arnon Zmora. This week we watched MK Benny Gantz leave Netanyahu’s war cabinet. This week Jews around the world learned Torah […]
בְּאֵ֣ין חָ֭זוֹן יִפָּ֣רַֽע עָ֑ם וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר תּוֹרָ֣ה אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ׃ (משלי כט:יא) For lack of vision a people lose restraint, But happy is he who heeds instruction. (Proverbs 29:11) In his Forward to Michael Livni’s book Reform Zionism: An Educator’s Perspective, Rabbi Hank Skirball z”l wrote that Michael Livni’s success was: “…in his contradictions and creative tensions. […]
May 31, 2024 – כ״ג אִיָיר תשפ”ד וְנָתַתִּ֤י שָׁלוֹם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּ֖ם וְאֵ֣ין מַחֲרִ֑יד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּ֞י חַיָּ֤ה רָעָה֙ מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְחֶ֖רֶב לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֥ר בְּאַרְצְכֶֽם׃ I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; I will give the land respite from vicious beasts, and no sword shall cross your land. וּרְדַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְנָפְל֥וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם […]
May 24, 2024 – ט״ז אִיָיר תשפ”ד וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכׇל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ׃ (ויקרא כה:י) “You shall proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to your holding and […]
May 16, 2024 – ט׳ אִיָיר This week you celebrated another year around the sun. You are 76 years young, and I am writing to wish you Mazal Tov. On the occasion of your 76th year of independence, I want to begin by telling you that I love you. I love you with all my […]
On Sunday night Israelis will hear the piercing blare of a siren marking the beginning of Yom HaZikaron LeHalelei Ma’arkhot Yisrael ul’Nifge’ei Pe’ulot HaEivah (יוֹם הזִּכָּרוֹן לְחַלְלֵי מַעַרְכוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְנִפְגְעֵי פְּעֻלּוֹת הָאֵיבָה) officially known as ”Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Acts of Terror,” marking the annual two […]
