A Well-Examined Life: An Interview with Poet Stacey Zisook Robinson

The essays and poems in Stacey Zisook Robinson’s Dancing in the Palm of God’s Hand (Hadassa Word Press) reveal a writer grounded in self-awareness, drawing readers in toward a comfortable intimacy. In one moving essay, Robinson captures a poignant moment that many can relate to, as she describes the raw emotion of chanting Torah with her then-13-year-old son. In the poem “Twenty Three,” saying goodbye at a burial, Robinson captures another universal emotion – the wistfulness of loss. This volu
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Interviews & Book Reviews

Reform Judaism •

A Well-Examined Life: An Interview with Poet Stacey Zisook Robinson

The essays and poems in Stacey Zisook Robinson’s Dancing in the Palm of God’s Hand (Hadassa Word Press) reveal a writer grounded in self-awareness, drawing readers in toward a comfortable intimacy. In one moving essay, Robinson captures a poignant moment that many can relate to, as she describes the raw emotion of chanting Torah with her then-13-year-old son. In the poem “Twenty Three,” saying goodbye at a burial, Robinson captures another universal emotion – the wistfulness of loss. This volu
Reform Judaism •

What Does Fasting on Yom Kippur Mean to You? 7 Jews Share Their Perspectives

During Yom Kippur, many Jews may wish one another “an easy fast,” but I’ve always been curious: How many of us find meaning in our fast, going beyond the physical discomfort and into serious introspection? And what meaning, exactly, do we find? From those who always fast to those who have considered not doing so – and those who share how health reasons impact their fast – here are a few personal perspectives about fasting on the holiest day of the Jewish year. What’s your perspective? Tell us
Reform Judaism •

How Can We Find Hope and Faith in the Face of Death?

In a recent talk at my synagogue about his new book, Finding Hope and Faith in the Face of Death (Cascade Books), Rabbi Stephen Karol shared his early struggle with worrying about the uncertainty of death and told us about how his beliefs have evolved. The book is based on his many years of helping congregants in mourning, which shaped and sharpened his perceptions of death and Jewish mourning tradition. In addition to giving frequent book talks at churches and synagogues, Rabbi Karol writes fo
Reform Judaism •

Going Green on Passover: One Chef’s Healthy Approach

With Passover on the way, many of us are planning festive seder dinners and a week of eating within kosher-for-Passover restrictions. The two main themes of Passover – spring and freedom – go hand in hand with the holiday’s agricultural aspect. This Passover, celebrate the cycle of time and nature with an approach to food that protects our environment, prioritizes good health, and lines up with Reform Jewish values. For a look at vegan living, we chatted with award-winning chef and author Mark
Union for Reform Judaism Blog •

We Were the Future: A Memoir of the Kibbutz

The word “kibbutz” may suggest a healthy, outdoorsy lifestyle on a self-sustaining farm, a cooperative of hardy, dedicated men and women, living and working together, sharing their lives. Yael Neeman’s memoir, We Were the Future details a surprisingly different scenario. Founded in 1946 by the Socialist-Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair (The Young Guard), Kibbutz Yehiam comprised Hungarian Holocaust survivors and people living in Palestine. The founders named the kibbutz HaSela (The Rock)
Reform Judaism •

Trying to Please Mom: A Son’s Labor of Love

It’s often difficult to be funny in print, but reading the opening of Peter Gethers’ newest book, My Mother’s Kitchen: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and the Meaning of Life, I found myself suppressing hysterical laughter in the quiet car of an evening rush-hour train. I can’t begin to imagine how his unselfconscious, authentic, and remarkably familiar persona would make me laugh in person. It’s fitting, I think, that last week – just before Mother’s Day – I finished My Mother’s Kitchen – this time a
Reform Judaism •

Living a Good Life Is the Best Revenge

When author June Hersh interviewed Holocaust survivors for her first book Recipes Remembered, a cookbook of their stories and recipes, she barely knew anyone who had endured this horrific time in history. Today, June counts the survivors she’s met among her dearest friends. She recently teamed up with photographer Brian Marcus for a new book, Still Here: Inspiration From Survivors & Liberators of the Holocaust. When we spoke, June said that her attitude about the Holocaust hasn’t changed, but h
Reform Judaism •

Jesus, the Most Influential Rabbi in History

Rabbi Evan Moffic, author of What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Jewishness of Jesus: A New Way of Seeing the Most Influential Rabbi in History (Abingdon Press), sees himself “as a guide for Christians and Jews through the landscape of first century Judaism,” presenting Jesus the way his Jewish contemporaries understood him and offering examples of how Christianity evolved from its Jewish roots. ReformJudaism.org: What drove you, a Reform rabbi, to write a book about Jesus aimed at bot
Reform Judaism •

Close Encounters of the Worst Kind: Melanoma on the Rise

In his first book, Melanoma: It Started with a Freckle, Jewish author David L. Stanley tells the story of his battle with melanoma. His humor comes through – yet he never minimizes the seriousness of this frightening disease. Stanley, a science teacher, is the son of a physician and the husband of a nurse, and he writes about the intricacies of human anatomy and biology in an understandable, engaging way. His descriptions of the interplay of skin muscles, capillaries, arteries and nerves are as
Reform Judaism •

The Executives at CBS Should Have Asked Rabbi Schindler

In 1972, CBS aired Bridget Loves Bernie, a romantic comedy that got its basic plot inspiration from a popular Broadway 1920s play, Abie's Irish Rose. The televison show portrayed an interfaith relationship between Bridget (Meredith Baxter), an Irish Catholic teacher, and Bernie (David Birney), a Jewish cab driver. The first lines of the pilot clearly established the religious divide: Bridget: "You know, this is crazy. I don't even know your full name!" Bernie: "I think we have a problem..." Br
Union for Reform Judaism Blog •

Building A Jewish Framework To Live By

A book review of Chapters of the Heart: Jewish Women Sharing the Torah of Our Lives In essence, we all go through life struggling with similar issues—identity, relationships, family, health, loss, and aging. We are not usually well prepared to handle life’s ups and downs. No one gives us classes on what to expect, and certainly no one can predict how it will all turn out. Relevant in the midst of our struggles, at every stage of living, this collection of 20 essays written by an extraordinary g