This morning, I woke up and did something I don't normally do. I watched the news.  I'm more of a morning news "reader" than I am a news "watcher."  The images of various college campuses moved me to want to watch and to listen to what was happening. The environment was loud. The noises sounded like a war zone.  The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right in America, but on many campuses, these protests are no longer peaceful. Repeated calls of "Intifada now" and "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" endanger the lives of the Jewish people. These chants are uneducated and call for the end of Israel and Jews.  How quickly the world forgets.    Today is day 209 of the war, a blip in time for some and an eternity for others. We are 210 days from the last ceasefire with Hamas. On October 7th, Hamas broke the ceasefire. Hamas, the terrorist organization and governing body of Gaza, entered the homes of sleeping Israelis and peaceful gatherings of young adults and … [Read more...]

I don't worry about antisemitism from white nationalists, skinheads, or neo-Nazis. I can identify that form of antisemitism a mile away. Those kinds of people who hate Jews aren't shy to admit their beliefs. What worries me, what keeps me up at night, are the folks who cloak their antisemitism under the garb of social justice. For my entire life, social justice was on the banner of my Jewish identity. I grew up on a steady diet of helping the hungry, the poor, and the orphans, all as a manifestation of my Jewish identity. I marched for reproductive rights, for LGBTQ causes, and against racism-and I will continue to do so. What's changed is that many of the same folks who marched alongside me now see my Zionist beliefs as the problem. I am a Zionist. I am one who believes that the Jewish people have a right to self-determination in the Land of Israel. In the last few months, I've seen Zionism become a dirty term once again. Today, this more nefarious iteration of antisemitism is under a … [Read more...]

Don't pass-over the struggle of the Israelites in the Passover story.  Don't pass-over the call to see ourselves as if we were slaves in Egypt.  Don't pass-over the moments begging for questions and discussion.  Don't pass-over the hungry in our midst. They're the ones hoping that their favorite soup will be on the shelf this week when they stop by the pantry.  Don't pass-over the widow seeking connection. She's the one sitting off to the side. Her face is a little melancholy. She doesn't light up when the table sings Dayeinu this year.  Don't pass-over the orphan longing for more time with loved ones. He's a father of his own now, but he has now celebrated a decade without his parents at the seder table.  Above all else, don't pass-over seeing the humanity in our neighbor, even when our instinct is to fear them.  Do pass-over the urge to rush the seder just to get to the meal.  Do pass-over the beeps and buzzes of your devices and leave them in another room.   Do pass-over the desire … [Read more...]

Passover is in eleven days.    Eleven days to clean.   Eleven days to pick up matzah, that pesky shank bone, and all your other Passover food needs.   Eleven days to cook.   Eleven days to dust off the family haggadot or to order new ones.   Eleven days to prepare our minds and souls so that we can arrive to the seder and experience the Maggid (the story). We should strive to raise up our obligation to see ourselves as if we are coming out of Egypt.   But this year we hold the harsh reality that we have brothers and sisters, who feel extra close to home in our hearts, who have not yet come out from the proverbial Egypt in which they are captive.   This year, add an additional empty chair to your seder table, for the hostage who won't be joining their family. This year, add an extra setting of maror, for the bitterness we feel about the ongoing war. This year, don't let the seder go by without going deep in conversation.   Don't rush.    It is a privilege to be able to sit and engage in … [Read more...]

Passover (Pesach) celebrates our ancestors' freedom from slavery. How can we celebrate being free while 130+ Jews are held hostage in Gaza? I've received this question in various forms over the last few days. This year is different from all other years because, this year, we commemorate Pesach with the knowledge that we are not all free. Just as Pharaoh sought the annihilation of our people, so too do evil rulers seek our demise today. However, like our ancestors, we will prevail over our enemies. We will celebrate together again in full joy.   This year, we marked Chanukah, Tu b'Shvat, and Purim with mixed emotions. We celebrated the significance of these days and held the pain of the hostages and their families in our hearts and minds.  We will do the same for Pesach. The irony is not lost on any of us that we will mark the day our ancestors gained their freedom while 130+ Jews are not free. The Pesach seder is the right time to talk about this conflicted day. When you eat the Hillel … [Read more...]