According to our tradition the congregation of Israel was born in one moment: at the foot of Mount Sinai, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as others who had joined them in the Exodus from Egypt, became one nation. Most of us belong to communities that already existed before we came along, … More »
i grew up in a synagogue where i found my spirituality outside of the sanctuary and my community was my friends. we would gather together on shabbat afternoon play basketball football and frisbee read tv guides make up stupid inside jokes and raid the pantry of whoever’s home we were at that shabbat. i … More »
“The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends. One repays a teacher badly if one remains only a pupil. And why, then, should you not pluck at my laurels.” … More »
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, my Dad emailed a New York Times article to our immediate family accompanied by the note: “Now this is taking it a little too far? Agree?” He is a man of few words. The article, For Young Jews, a Service Says, ‘Please Do Text’ reports on a Miami … More »
More than 20 years ago, before terms like “post-denominational” and “independent minyan” were catch-phrases in the American Jewish discourse, a small group of intellectually-minded folks in suburban Chicago sought to create a community that went beyond the norms of the American synagogue. And so Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living was born. Aitz Hayim was … More »
For my first Friday night at college, I decided to attend Shabbat dinner. I had never seen a dining room so packed. During the meal, I made a joking reference to my family’s high holiday celebrations and a boy at my table turned to me in shock. “You’re Jewish?” he asked. I was taken aback. … More »
On a trip to Munich just before the New Year, I remembered what it meant to grow up in a one shul town. I’ve lived on four continents and in more than a dozen different towns and cities, yet I’ve always managed to live somewhere where there was only one synagogue. In the only places … More »
What I noticed reading the draft of the current Sh’ma is that the issue is quite top-heavy with rabbis first and foremost, with a strong representation of academics and leaders of community organizations close behind. Who is rather noticeably missing from this conversation? Lay people, synagogue members, indie minyan members, unaffiliated Jews. Imagine a round-table … More »
syn·a·gogue: A building or place of meeting for religious instruction in the Jewish faith. As a seventeen-year old spiritual seeker, I have strived to find a community that caters the needs of my evolving Judaism. In the heart of South Florida, my family and committed ourselves to multiple synagogues throughout my childhood, each with unique … More »