If you walked past Stephen Nedoroscik on the street you probably would not think too much of him. A nebbish, bespectacled young man with a goofy smile and curly brown hair, he certainly doesn’t conjure thoughts of an all-time athlete. You wouldn’t think: ‘There goes a superhero.’ But Stephen is...
The world feels like it’s falling apart. There are divisions along every possible line of our society: racial, religious, geographic, political and the list continues. Everywhere we look there’s separation: college campuses, congress, along generational lines and regional borders. We feel these rifts in ways that are real. Our heart hurts...
On Sunday, I had the honor of joining with many KI members to take part in a public reading of Frederick Douglass’ iconic essay, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” We joined with neighboring faith communities and, in the shade of a pavilion at Wall Park, read...
I wanted to share with you the remarks I was honored to deliver as the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism launched its nonpartisan Every Voice, Every Vote campaign this week. The campaign is committed to getting minority voices to the ballot box to ensure that all peoples are represented...
We are in the midst of the Counting of the Omer, the forty-nine days that take us from the second day of Passover to Shavuot. We refer to this period as ‘the counting of the Omer.’ It is a literal counting during which, each day, we ourselves grow one day...
In the fall of 1955, Rabbi Bertram Korn stood up at Rosh HaShanah services to deliver an extensive sermon on the state of KI. He spoke of the synagogue expanding its space, a full and active membership, the great impact KI was having on its surrounding community. The congregation was...
The word “Yisrael” means to “struggle with God.” These days we’re struggling with much more than God. We’re struggling with protestors, with media, with a relentless war, with antisemitism and misinformation. If you’re like me, your head is hurting. Your heart is pained. On college campuses (too many to count)...
What are we to make of Passover this year? How can we celebrate our freedom when our brothers and sisters remain as hostages half a world away? How do we focus our attention on ancient hardship when our current hardship is so poignant and so real? How do we raise...
I can’t stop thinking about Israel. My mind plays October 7 on repeat. I cannot unsee what I’ve seen: the brutality, the murder, the horror. Over a thousand Israelis were slaughtered. Homes were burned to the ground. Families were separated. Hostages were taken to faraway tunnels, their fate still unknown....
This week we put Purim in the rear-view mirror and set our sights on Passover. Indeed, as Jews we know that it is important to look back but we must find a way to look ahead as well. Just as we needed Purim, this story of an inspiring queen who...
