As an American Reform Jew, my understanding of Jewish practice and gender equality was shaped by the values of my community. Growing up, I was accustomed to seeing women and men equally engaged in Jewish life. It has never been a radical concept for me to see
There’s something uniquely powerful about international travel—the way it invites you to step outside your comfort zone, discover new perspectives, and find connections in unexpected places. And as is such in the small interconnected Jewish world, those
“I’m not a cantor.”
Surrounded by more than 200 cantors at the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) Convention 2025 in Washington DC earlier this month, this was my mantra as I introduced myself throughout the gathering.
Thank you, thank you, thank you WRJ for
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
Growing up in Los Angeles, I was privileged to never worry about accessing reproductive health care or an abortion. However, while attending college in Arizona, that all changed. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which led to the state of
There is no better evidence for history’s power than the attempt to erase it. At a time when current initiatives attempt to erase women, trans people, and people of color from sites that celebrate their contributions to American history and society, Jewish
Sometimes it feels as if everything has changed since October 7. The brutality of the attacks and the devastation of the war have stunned us. The silence of those we once called friends and the abandonment by those we considered allies have left us reeling.
Eve
One of the most consistent parts of my life has been my identity as a Jew. For the last nine years, I have spent my Sunday mornings at synagogue; in 2020, I graduated from religious school student to staff. I have spent many of my summers at URJ Camp Newman
I sat across the table from my mentor, sipping hot chocolate at the coffee shop where we met whenever I was home from university. She listened carefully as I explained how lost I felt and how uncertain I was about the path I had chosen in neuroscience. I was