Friday June 20, 2025 – כ״ד סִיוָן We all know the age-old story in this week’s Torah portion, of the 12 scouts who returned to their encampment and reported back to their leader Moses. Their report gave two conflicting accounts. “This is what they told him: ‘We came to the land you sent us to; […]
Friday June 13, 2025 – Friday June 13, 2025 – י״ז סִיוָן תשפ”ה Rising Lions: Israel’s Attack on Iran Israelis were awoken at 3 am Friday to country-wide sirens urging them to head to safe rooms and shelters. Israel carried out a massive attack on Iran dubbed Operation “עם כלביא” (“Am K’Lavi”) – “Rising Lion” […]
Friday June 13, 2025 – י״ז סִיוָן תשפ”ה At first glance, one might hear Likud MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan’s recent biting and demeaning outburst as a minor blip on a long timeline of right-wing and ultra-Orthodox tongue-lashings against Reform Jews and Reform Judaism. We have been called “snakes” by the late Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadiah […]
Friday June 6, 2025 – י׳ סִיוָן תשפ”ה Over two decades ago, I got up in front of my extended family to share the news that in a few short weeks, I would be leaving my birthplace, the proverbial house of my parents, and throwing my fate in with the people, nation, and State of […]
Vote Reform won a commanding victory! Our slate received more votes than any of the 22 slates by a wide margin. We obtained the largest number of votes in the history of the WZC, and we did so by running a fair, honorable campaign and upholding our Reform Jewish values. We are the most prominent […]
Friday May 30, 2025 – ג׳ סִיוָן תשפ”ה Israel’s War of Independence lasted 596 days from November 30, 1947, to July 20, 1949. It included two phases (pre- and post-declaring independence) and claimed the lives of 1% of Israel’s population. It was a fight for the existence of the fledgling State, and defeat was not […]
Friday May 23, 2025 – כ״ה אִיָיר תשפ”ה This is not the column I wanted to write, nor the sermon any of us wants to give this Shabbat. As I sat down on the plane to Israel this week, I planned to write this column about some of the fundamental questions surrounding how we […]
Friday May 16, 2025 – י״ח אִיָיר תשפ”ה On the dry erase board that released hostage Edan Alexander held up in the helicopter ride from Gaza back to his Israel upon his release, he wrote three things: (In English) “Thank You President TRUMP!!!” עם ישראל חי!!! (The People of Israel Live) היידה גולני 51 – […]
Friday May 8, 2024 – י״א אִיָיר קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (ויקרא יט:ב) “You shall be holy, for I, your God יהוה, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2) Let me begin this week’s message with a thank you to all who voted, got others to vote, and helped organize, mobilize, and work on […]
May 5, 2025 – The election for the 2025 World Zionist Congress has been a significant success for our 3 slates, representing the majority of liberal Jewry in the U.S. It was also a success for furthering our values of pluralism, equality, justice, and democracy. During a time when Zionism as a concept is more controversial […]
