Guests and Blogs

Polarity, separateness and division is not our innate default. We must drop that mantra and return to believing we can heal that which only appears to separate us.

How can the saddest days of the year make someone happy?

Americans can worry about more than one problem at a time.

A few weeks ago, the coronavirus pandemic obscured the celebration of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

My hats are off to all teens for navigating their academic and personal lives with grace and strength in the middle of a pandemic, school closings and social unrest within our communities.

A few weeks ago, the coronavirus pandemic obscured the celebration of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery - all human beings created in the Divine image with rights to dignity and safety like all of us - have been murdered in the last few months by law enforcement that is supposed to keep us all safe. How can it be?

With visceral rage and utter disgust, we took to the streets to PEACEFULLY demand justice for Mr. Floyd and to bring attention to the routine use of deadly force by cops against unarmed, defenseless Black and Latino men, especially young ones.

A few weeks ago, the coronavirus pandemic obscured the celebration of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

"I wrote this back in 2004, while my mother, Cru, was still alive. At the time, I was 44 years old, and figuring out how to be a good mom to three young children..."

The newly formed Israeli coalition government promises to focus on only COVID 19-related matters, with one glaring exception: by July 1, the government can proceed with the process of annexing portions of the West Bank.

I have been struck by the fact that each time I pass someone on the street, my face covered in a mask, their face covered too, I say hello and smile. Because the masks can muffle sound, often times people don’t hear me say hello, and my smile is hidden, of course, behind the fabric of the mask. As a result, often these days people don’t acknowledge me as we pass each other— at least six feet apart — on the street.

The role of philanthropy in responding to this pandemic is critical.

This week’s parsha bears a striking echo to our current situation. It is the law of someone who got Tzaraat, a disease with physical symptoms of spiritual flaws that affected the person’s body, clothes, or even homes.

Counting the Omer during the time of the Coronavirus gives us a unique opportunity to see ourselves more clearly, with much of our emotional armor stripped away and without our usual busyness to distract us.

This year’s Passover seders will be smaller than ever, but they may prepare us for the biggest event in history.

Why is this year different from all others? This year we are all facing a global plague that has forced us into a desert of social isolation, void of human contact, and for some, basic needs.

We just finished reading the book of Exodus, and also the last of the special Torah readings before Passover. This reading, ‘the chapter of the NEW moon,’ begins with the mandate to declare the upcoming month of Nisan, as the first month in the Jewish calendar.

Charitable support for organizations that serve women and girls is surprisingly deficient when compared with philanthropic giving as a whole.

A recent Jewish Telegraphic Agency news item that appeared on 2/20 (linked in our JTA feed, Ed.) reported that the Israeli government intends to build thousands of homes for Jews “in predominantly Palestinian eastern Jerusalem.” In fact, the neighborhoods in question are not predominantly Arab and aren't in eastern Jerusalem.

The best philanthropic decisions are based on facts – not myths.

As the philanthropic landscape continues to evolve in 2020, expect these meaningful developments. 

Chanukah may be over but its message is not. Especially with recent challenges to Jewish lives, we need to find experiences that bolster our determination to thrive, and our confidence in humanity.

The right to vote is one of the most precious rights in our democracy – and it is under attack. In the last decade, many U.S. states have made it harder for people to vote, adopting tactics such as stricter identification requirements, polling place closures, limits on voter registration and early voting, and purges of voter lists.

Soon, many Americans will gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks for abundant blessings and freedoms as they indulge in a surfeit of delicious traditional foods. Leftovers will last for days.