It is hard for me to personalize Shavuot, though I know there is great spiritual meaning to be found within it. Shavuot is one of the three major holidays named in the Bible.  As such, there is special designation as one of the Shalosh Regalim (literally three legs–meaning pilgrimage festivals). Then, it was a time of a huge in-gathering of the Jewish people who trekked to Jerusalem to celebrate the harvest. In later rabbinic times, Shavuot was designated as the time of the g

This new non-profit organization hopes to bring these issues to the forefront. Please read an excerpt from its website below: “Antisemitism is on the rise, from all sides of the political spectrum. In some cases, bigots are straightforward in their disdain for Jews, likening them to termites or mowing them down in a house of prayer. In others, they mask their own discrimination, cynically claiming the banner of human rights. They use exaggerated criticism of Israel as an excu

At different times in my life, Jewish educators would often prompt seminar audiences to describe and prioritize their Jewish identity. The technique used was to ask “Are you an American Jew or a Jewish American”? Responses from the group almost always guaranteed an energetic discussion. I was never able to make up my mind. Plus, I have to admit that depending on my mood, sometimes my first thought was Really? What will this answer possibly tell me about myself? How is this qu

Free Speech or Hate Speech? “It should be remembered that any group that is willing to treat Israel and the Jewish people differently from any other and to deny it rights they wouldn’t deny anyone else is demonstrating prejudice.” Jonathan Tobin, “What Jewish Students Really Need” http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2013/07/10/what-jewish-students-really-need-hillel-anti-semitism/ #Israel #Jewish #Judaism

An event taking place on many college campuses The post title refers to Anti-Semitism, while the poster above references anti-Israel propaganda. There are plenty of debates back and forth about which is which, including examples of Anti-Zionism in the mix. This purpose of this post is to enlighten us about how Jewish teens react to a scenario they might encounter on the college campus. We know that the college campus, usually a place that is open to the marketplace of ideas,

Alicia Keys is getting pressure to cancel her performance in Tel-Aviv Israel. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters announced this past March that he would not be performing in Israel, as originally scheduled.  He wrote Alicia Keys a letter stating Please, Alicia, do not lend your name to give legitimacy to the Israeli government policies of illegal, apartheid, occupation of the homelands of the indigenous people of Palestine. Others may try to persuade you that by playing in Israel you

Will Jewish Teens Find Answers Here? Hebrew School may answer questions like “what do I need to know for my Bar/Bat Mitvah” but there are many questions Jewish pre-teens have about Judaism that most schools just don’t have the opportunity to answer. I was teaching a class to eighth graders called “What Makes Me Jewish?” and for an opening ice breaker, I asked them (95% of whom ‘graduated’  a typical Hebrew school, 100%  had become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah) to respond to  “A question

Image via Wikipedia With a nod to the TV show, I recently encountered a unique version of the restless young; amazing and energetic young adults staffing or attending an International Youth Convention. They are eager to change things up in the world of Judaism. I needed this dose of inspiration because sometimes being a Jewish educator can slowly gnaw away at one’s naturally optimistic nature. The people I met are committed to doing some great work. A Harvard graduate, now in