As the sun sets on October 14, the 23rd of Tishrei 5786, so ends the day we know as Simchat Torah. It’s a holiday that always moves me. Simchat Torah is about joy. We dance with the Torah, but we also wrestle with it. We celebrate the wisdom it offers, but we
Some of my most meaningful memories of connecting with Judaism have happened at URJ Camp Kalsman, and this year’s WRJ Pacific Northwest retreat and area event was no exception. The Pacific NW region spans from Portland, OR to Vancouver, BC, and we were
My WRJ journey has been a natural progression of my overall Jewish journey, which began in Toledo, Ohio with a family deeply rooted in Reform Jewish tradition and history. My formative years were spent in a Zionist youth group, and in college I was an engaged
I’m not usually an organization or club joiner, or anything that involves extensive group planning, protocol following, or being with a group that involves women that I am not familiar with; i.e. what I thought a temple sisterhood represented.
Out of the
Lately, I’ve been playing a game of comparisons. My old place in Cincinnati had lilac bushes by the front door. Now my new block in Astoria smells of roses, owing to the talented gardeners who grow all varieties of colors and scents in their tiny patches of
My Jewish journey began over 45 years ago when, as a young woman, I left upstate New York to begin my life in Texas. Little did I know that my journey to Texas would lead me on such a profound Jewish journey. I had decided to pursue a life in Texas and explore
Women of Reform Judaism was proud to bring together nearly 350 participants to Washington D.C. for our inaugural Rabbi Marla J. Feldman Social Justice Conference. After three days full of sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice, most attendees travelled
On April 7, after completing my lobby visits, I strolled through the Botanical Gardens and then the National Gallery of Art. As I completed my Smithsonian visits and exited the museum, I looked back at the clean, sharp white lines of the Capitol building
My hands now fidget with my hostage dog tag, cool metal against burning skin, reminding me that this twisted reality is far more than a satirical nightmare. I will never be able to return to the innocent naïveté that existed before October 7, 2023. Black and
During the High Holidays, my thoughts turn to the special blessings, prayers, and melodies that shape our journey from Selichot to Rosh HaShanah to the final shofar blast on Yom Kippur.
Many of our prayers in the High Holiday liturgy are written in the plural