We are living in tremendously challenging times, where every day and every headline brings difficult news. At this moment of disruption and destruction, we offer a prayer for groundedness and grace.
According to Mordecai Kaplan’s teachings, which have long resonated with me and so many others, to be Jewish in America is to live simultaneously in two rich civilizations, the Jewish and the American civilizations, both full of promise and character-shaping values. To be Jewish in America is to draw deeply from both of these civilizations in order to contribute meaningfully to both of them. As deeply as Kaplan believed this, living it out was often challenging in his day. Increasingly, it is challenging in our day as well.
In this moving reflection, Rabbi Deborah Waxman shares her transformative experience on a service-learning trip to Israel with Yahel and Repair the World. Amid the complexities of a region in conflict, she discovers how hands-on service work—from weeding at a therapeutic farm for veterans to packing food for Bedouin villages—opens pathways to hope, agency and renewal when mere words and meetings cannot.
In this role, Justin Rosen Smolen oversees Reconstructing Judaism’s initiatives supporting nearly 100 congregations worldwide. His team of eight staff members performs a wide scope of work. Among its essential activities, the Thriving Communities Department helps congregations navigate challenges; consults on rabbinic search and transition processes; leads on issues related to Israel, justice and inclusion; and spearheads Reconstructing Judaism’s conventions and other gatherings.
When we speak of the “revelation” of Torah, what do we mean? Elsie Stern shared three perspectives from traditional Jewish texts, viewed with a Reconstructionist eye.
