What kind of country and world, do we want our children to grow up in? A Torah-based reflection on dignity, leadership, and the image of God

Friends, in just a few moments we will rise for Kaddish. Before we do, I need ten minutes of holy honesty. These past weeks, many of us have watched events unfold in Minneapolis and beyond, and we have felt the ground shift under our feet. We have said the names Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, and we have struggled with the same question echoing in so many Jewish hearts: How can this be happening here, and what does our Jewish tradition ask of us now? This is not a partisan question. It is...

On a weekend of Torah, baseball, and Halloween, three stories intertwine—each asking what it means to step forward with courage and faith. As the Dodgers chase glory, children wander in costume, and Abram and Sarai heed the call Lech L’cha, we find that when the world plays tricks, Torah still offers treats: hope, blessing, and the sweetness of showing up again.

Even baseball can be holy. A Shabbat Prayer for the Dodgers turns “Play Ball” into “Amen” and the ballpark into sacred space. ⚾️✨

In a fearful world, Judaism still calls us to bring blessing into brokenness. Rabbi Paul Kipnes asks: What does it mean to be a Jew today?

What does it mean to be a Jew today? A reflection on identity, tradition, and justice in a complex world.

Holy One of Blessing, Source of Wisdom, Wisely guide our children Through the doorways to their future. May they meet Teachers who inspire them Classmates who are kind to them Activities that energize them. And may they find friends - Friends who guide them to goodness. And may they find themselves, Or at least The core of kindness and compassion, Wisdom and wonder, That You implanted in them And that I/we nurtured within them Just as in Genesis, You let humanity Go out into the world, Grant...

Transform the High Holy Day Appeal now and your synagogue just might nurture a greater culture of giving. Then, defying the prognosticators of the decline of the synagogue, yours might find itself with the funding to forge ahead, fashioning a future filled with hope and excitement. At least that’s how one temple transformed itself. In just six years, by intentionally instituting a strategic process, Congregation Or Ami (Calabasas, California) increased its annual High Holy Day appeal by 141%....

Each seder gathered a constellation of color and courage: Blacks and Jews, Black Jews and people of color—Bishops and Rabbis, churches and synagogues, choir singing, and the cacophony of connection and contemplation— We were a veritable mosaic of Moses’ people, linking arms, lifting hearts, lamenting and loving in equal measure.