Virtual Shabbat Box Archives: July 2023
July 28-29
We’ve gathered an array of Reconstructionist resources from our network of websites to help you search for meaning on this solemn day, the Ninth of Av.
Confused and angered by the push to weaken Israel’s judiciary? Inspired by the protests but not sure what to think? Rabbis Deborah Waxman and Maurice Harris share their perspectives.
Rabbi Maurice Harris asks the One who blessed our ancestors and Israel’s founders to give them the strength to “save the State of Israel’s democracy, because we have learned that democracy is sacred.”
Check out The Forward’s in-depth retelling of the birth The Jewish Catalogue — featuring several Reconstructionist voices — and its impact upon Judaism today.
July 21-22
Reflecting on horrors in his city and throughout Jewish history, Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein shows how a Reconstructionist reformulation of traditional prayer can help process loss.
Suzanne Sabransky’s poem invokes the fast of Tisha B’Av to remind us of the blessings so many of us take for granted and to focus on how many people suffer from hunger.
Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg delves into how trauma has informed Jewish experience at both the individual and collective levels.
This excerpt from “The Guide to Jewish Practice, Volume 2” outlines the history of this most solemn of Jewish holidays.
July 14-15
With poor air quality continuing to be a concern throughout much of North America, Trisha Arlin prays for the health of all.
Learn how Reconstructionist values guide Sophia Barrett’s actions — from how she raises funds for the organization to teaming up with her crisis response dog to help people in need.
Rabbi David Jaffe adapts Judaism’s teachings on applied ethics to offer resilience and inspiration to all those working for social change.
In this commentary on the weekly Torah portion, Rabbi Jonathan Kligler explains how the Torah is not a road atlas but a map of our inner journeys.
July 7-8
At a time of year when many of us travel, this prayer urges the God of our ancestors for safe passage home.
This poem by Rabbi Janet Madden seeks coherence and calm amiss “the day’s tsunami of ‘To Do’s.”
Revisit one of the Evolve podcast’s most downloaded episodes, focusing on how Jewish communities can truly become more inclusive, embracing spaces.
Rabbi David Steinberg’s commentary of Parashat Pinchas examines the passing of one generation to another while encouraging us to temper our judgments with compassion and humility.
