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Newest Articles* Losing Your Voice: In the wake of the atrocities being committed in the Middle East, how should young Jews respond to the world around them? Jewishly, suggests Josh Eagle. Advice From a Recent Grad: Attention parents of college-bound students, we have an article you won't want to miss. Let Daniel Fink clue you in to the 20 tips every college kid should keep in mind. The Quarter-Life Blues: Maybe you have a kid who just got out of college and is facing a depressed job market and the reality of paying rent for the first time? If so, check out Rabbi Richard Address' advice on how to help your child avoid a "quarter-life crisis." Full Cycle: Judy Lash Balint tells about new beginnings on Yom Hashoah. Camping In Israel Means Camping in Style: Yosemite it's not, camping in Israel says Brian Blum. But it still has it's own … charms. Making These Days Count: In the time between Passover and Shavuot, Jews traditionally count the days. This time offers the perfect opportunity to "reassert the power of counting the importance of each day," suggests Rabbi Richard Address. Half and Half: Judy Lash Balint asks can a basketball game distract the nation from what is going on politically in Israel? New Pharoahs and Remembering the Stranger: As Jews, we are commanded to never forget what it feels like to be “the other” in a strange land. This dictate has never been more important than now, writes Rabbi Richard Address. Dear Rabbi: Understanding Passover Rituals The Morning Cup: Judy Lash Balint sets the scene of one day at a Jerusalem coffee shop The Jacuzzi Loop: If one is not mindful, daily life in Israel can become filled with “what-ifs,” reports Brian Blum. Mmm…Crunchy!: Cholent is a tried and true recipe in many Jewish homes. But ‘s a cook to do when some uninvited guests make their way to the kitchen? A New Song, A New Light:Two events in Israel, separated by only 40 miles. Which one reflects the real Israel, wonders Judy Lash Balint. Nourishing Your Roots: Families, writes Rabbi Richard Address, are like roots of a tree. When issues arise and security and guidance are needed, it is the family with deep roots that can provide the stability and security that will make it possible to withstand whatever crises may arise. Dear Rabbi: On Kashrut (Kosher regulations) and Destroying Documents. ISM Chutzpah: Judy Lash Balint tells the tale of Radhika Sainath and asks where the International Solidarity Movement gets its nerve. What’s In a Tree?: Rebecca Kotkin offers a great way for you to get your kids into Tu B’Shevat: Crafting a collage of a tree made entirely (except the glue) from tree products. This Year, Families Need a Miracle: Rabbi Richard Address looks at some alarming trends being reported about today’s Jewish families and suggests a meaningful way to update the festival of Hanukkah. Advocating for Israel: Who is responsible for protecting Israel's image at home and abroad? We all are, writes Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi. Hands-On Judaism: Want to insert some Judaism into your family's celebration of Thanksgiving this year? Yossi Abramowitz and Rabbi Susan Silverman offer five quick tips to get you started. And check out Julie Hilton Danan's great suggestions, too. Dear Rabbi: On Interfaith Parents and Handling Christmas. Leaving an Impression: Judy Lash Balint shares her impressions of the Second-Annual David Bar Illan Conference on Media and the Middle East. Debunking the Weekly Myth: Is Israel is pursuing a policy of genocide toward the Palestinians that is comparable to the Nazis' treatment of the Jews? Some takeaways from the High Holidays: Yes, we are all happy to have made it through yet-another High Holiday season. But, the important messages of reconciliation with family and friends should not be forgotten, writes Rabbi Richard Address. The Bare Essentials: Moving into a new home presents plenty of challenges as well as rewards. Michael Jackman offers his take on one challenge --- what ritual items should be present in every Jewish household. A Husband's Take on a First Mammogram: In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we present Brian Blum's story of his wife Jody's first mammogram. To Trick or To Treat: It's a debate that takes place in Jewish homes every year around this season: Should I let my child participate in Halloween? Anne Ludden describes how her son convinced her that trick-or-treating was a mitzvah. Think Positive!: Hebrew school does not have to be a dreadful time for your children. Jill Jacobs offers some tips to assure your kids get the most out of their Hebrew school experience (and maybe manage a little fun, too!). Welcoming Jews with Special Needs: Rabbi Richard Address talks about the challenges in raising a special-needs child, and what we can do to make them more comfortable in our congregations. Present and Accounted For: Each ambulance siren could be the call of a lost loved one. Fear in Israel, sadly, has become as ordinary as going to the dentist. A Hand in Friendship: Jewish and Arab kids in Jaffa not only overcome life's trials and tribulations at Friendship's Way, but they knock down stereotypes simply by coexisting. Helping Bar Mitzvah at Hogwarts: On your way out to buy the new Harry Potter book? Read about Dobby's Bar Mitzvah here first. A Cause to Celebrate: Did you miss the world's biggest Jewish party this year? Maybe Judy Lash-Balint's description will stir you to spend next Yom Haatzma'ut (Israel Independence Day) in Israel. A Special Gift: Helping our aging parents "make their arrangements" can be an emotionally-daunting task. However, writes Rabbi Richard Address, this event can also present moments of great spiritual possibility. Running Israel: Why does Brian Blum spend his free time jogging in Israel? For spiritual reasons mostly, and sometimes, to forget. Dear Rabbi: On Bar Mitzvahs, Tattoos, and God's real name. By Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson. The Weekly Myth Debunked: Does the Geneva Convention prohibit the construction of Jewish settlements in occupied territories? Mitchell G. Bard responds. Passover the Sushi: Writer Brian Blum takes a look at some of the differences between how Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews approach Passover. The Seder of Caregiving: With increasing regularity, one of the issues that mark the multi-generational discourse at Passover revolves around that of caregiving. Rabbi Richard Address helps us understand these issues as opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. Evan on the Outside, Part Two: In the second part of his tale, Joel Richman discusses how he came to answer his child's pressing query: "Is there a God?" Dear Rabbi: On Black converts. The People You Meet: Judy Lash Balint discusses a Shabbat meal with one of Israel's top scientists. A Childhood Interrupted: War can have a traumatic effect on every member of the family. But was does research have to say specifically about how children handle these types of confrontations? Dr. Jessica E. Simmonds, Ph. D has some answers. Supporting Your Child's Spirit During Times of Crisis: Mimi Doe offers six steps to help your family through these troubling times. How to Talk To Kids About Death: Death, a universal and inevitable process, is faced by people of all ages. Let Rabbi Earl A. Grollman, D.H.L., D.D. help you explain the issue to your kids. Helping Children Cope with a Violent World: As teachers and parents, we need to allow children the opportunity to tell us what is on their minds. By Sheryl Katz. How To Talk To Kids About Extremists: Ann Moline offers five easy-to-follow steps to encourage your children to think for themselves and understand extremism. The Changed Jewish Family: In a new addition to the Jewish Family lineup, UAHC Director of Family Concerns Rabbi Richard Address discusses three major trends affecting Jewish families today. Working the Polls: Judy Lash Balint tells us what election day is really like in Israel. Dear Rabbi: Feed the cat before myself? Straight Dope: Author Yehudah Fine knows teens. And he knows what’s on their minds. Check out his new monthly column to gain a little more insight into what your teens want to know from you. A Childhood Interrupted: War can have a traumatic effect on every member of the family. But was does research have to say specifically about how children handle these types of confrontations? Dr. Jessica E. Simmonds, Ph. D has some answers. Dear Rabbi: On Interfaith divorce agreements, and the Ten Commandments. A New Song, A New Light: Judy Lash Balint poignantly describes the "joyous sounds of rejoicing over the addition of another Torah to the world." Dear Rabbi: On Dealing with the Aftermath of Divorce, and the appropriateness of Bar Mitzvah gifts. Dear Rabbi: Faith After 9/11. How can I help my friend keep practicing in light of the terrorist attacks? Memory: A tale of two musicians named Fradkin, and one strained memory. By Judy Lash-Balint A Thriving Diaspora: "As the High Holidays approach, and we reflect on all that is wrong in Israel and beyond," writes acclaimed author Larry Tye, "it is critical that we heed and take hope from what is going right." Keeping a Kosher Kitchen: Want to make your kitchen kosher? It's really not as hard as you might think, explains Michael Jackman. A Soundscape of Jerusalem : Omnipresent radio beeps. Sirens screeching. Rock music. A cacophony of bird chirps and market cries. These noises are all part of Jerusalem’s modern soundscape. By Stephen H. Horenstein Fresh Eggs: Not too long ago, Jews and Arabs intermingled and interacted on a daily basis in Israel. Mindy Aber Barad shares the story of her daily encounters with a merchant named Ahmed. Judaism
Today: Do Jews Have Religious Freedom in Israel?
Acting
Out With Textual Activism In this week's Torah portion, God tells Moses the specific ways that sins are to be atoned for. Debra B. Darvick contemplates the true meaning of freedom as her children become more independent. In this Dear Rabbi, Bradley Shavit Artson discusses the Jewish view of Mohammed. In the two torah portions for last week, Moses describes God's wishes for a Tabernacle and ark (Parashat Vayakhel) and for the garments the priests and High Priest would wear (Parashat Pekude). When the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and the Presence of the Lord filled the Tabernacle, the Israelites would stay where they were, but when the cloud lifted, they would continue on their journey. Debra B. Darvick comes up against her own prejudice -- against Germans, and thinks it through, in "Prejudiced? Who Me?"
Adoption and the Jewish Family: As more parents adopt, we need to know how to discuss the topic in the most positive way with our children. Kathy Brodsky, director of the Ametz Adoption Program, offers important pointers. Transracial or transcultural adoption--the adoption of a child of one race or heritage by a family of another--forever changes that family: It becomes a multicultural or interracial family. These adoptees and their families become part of a rich and varied Jewish tapestry stitched together by choice and love. The adoption of our daughter set us on the path to a most wondrous journey -- one filled with learning and meeting people from other cultures, befriending other families who have adopted and learning about the new life that is now a part of our family. We devised the following ceremony to welcome our adoptive daughter to our family. Perhaps it can help you come up with one that is appropriate for your family. We are seeking an Orthodox conversion for our son, Adar, a fourteen-month-old we adopted five months ago from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. That may not seem like a radical statement, but for us it is. The Judaism that completely permeates our lives is progressive. We are egalitarian. I am a rabbi. Being Jewish, adopted, and having a disability are all things that make a person different. Being three times different presents unique and complex challenges for this special group of Jewish adoptees and their families.
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