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Aug 2016
For me, Tu B’Av is not simply a Jewish version of Valentine’s Day. While it is celebrated as a day of romantic love, the days surrounding Tu B’Av send a deeper message. More than three weeks ago, as we began our period of mourning, Jeremiah (2:2) reminded us that God thinks of us as God's young bride. On the Shabbat following Tisha B’Av and Tu B’Av, Parshat Va’Etchanan brings
Aug 2016
Getting divorced is not getting the get (divorce certificate), but it’s taking yourself and your surroundings on a magnificent journey, from anger and despair to better self-knowledge, to healing and forgiveness. This journey gives you a unique window into yourself, your kids, family, friends, love, past and future expectations, dreams and hopes. The divorce journey starts with the history of marriage. Here’s a quick look: until the 18th century most
Aug 2016
Imagine if your parents or grandparents had never met. If you could go back in time, as did Marty McFly in Back to the Future, what would you do to ensure your existence? In Ruth Rabbah 6:1, we learn that when King David would rise at midnight to praise G-d, he would specifically recall G-d’s great kindness in enabling his grandfather Boaz and grandmother Ruth to meet, against all odds.
We asked several from our network to comment on whether they were observing Tisha b'Av and, if so, how and why. The following are excerpts from their thoughtful answers. The longer versions are available here. Sue Fendrick, WGF Alum (Class 2) — Newton, MA I’ve always found it funny when people have said they no longer see the purpose of mourning on Tisha B’Av, arguing that the Jewish diaspora is now entirely a
Reposted with thanks to The Mental Health Safe Space blog , founded by Jamie Bornstein (WGF Alum, Class 18) . Mental illness has of course always been a part of the Jewish Community, as it has been for all people everywhere, and yet, most leaders tend to stay quiet about it. Not so for some of our pioneering alumni who have created and contributed to a platform for Jews to speak
It has been reported that in 1914 Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook visited London’s National Gallery and became enamored with Rembrandt’s works of artistic genius. In Rembrandt, Rav Kook saw “a tsaddik, a truly righteous person,” whose works reminded him “of the legend of the creation of light.” Kook explained that this was a “light so strong and luminous that it lit up one end of the world to the
Aug 2016
Should leaders criticize their opponents and detractors? When is reprimanding other people legitimate — or even necessary — and when should castigating others be viewed as an impious act? This question weighed heavily on my mind after hearing Donald Trump’s insensitive criticism of Khizr Khan, a Muslim father of a slain U.S. soldier. In my recently published book, Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism, I discuss one such Jewish
Reposted with thanks to the blog of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. As a hospice volunteer with the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center and a chaplain intern at a local hospital, Rabbi "Yitz" Greenberg's teachings from my Heritage Summer Institute more than 10 years ago, remain some of the most meaningful from my two years of study. So, I was delighted to find out that
Aug 2016
The trends and attitudes of American society pour down into every corner and crevice of the American Jewish community. This is both the marvel and the challenge of being a Jewish American. Whatever Jewish actions we take, they are significantly framed by American culture. Today, American culture is marching to the beat of a near-hysterical parade towards everything Millennial. And one of the results is that ageism, now against Boomers,
Jul 2016
Reposted with thanks to The Jim Joseph Foundation's blog. During the summer of 2014, a recent graduate of our high school experienced one of the preeminent rites of passage of those pre-college months — learning the identity of his soon-to-be-roommate. The excitement of the moment wore off quickly, however, as our graduate looked up his roommate on Facebook and found that his page was full of virulent anti-Israel rhetoric. One might