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Building communities through the stories of individuals
Storytelling is an ancient art that gives voice to our values and our history. Through our stories, we build our communities. But we can only appreciate the depth of these communities when we tell the stories of the individual people who make up the community. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
A new ritual for Yom HaShoah as the fragile window closes
We have reached a tipping point where the Holocaust is changing from an immediate, traumatic memory to community history. At this transition, we have an obligation to frame how we as a Jewish community will commemorate this event for future generations. If we do not create some sort of ritual observance, then I fear that the Holocaust will fade into history, its lessons lost. I brought this idea to a meeting of Jewish educators… [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Does “Never Again” still have meaning?
Never again is the anguished cry of Holocaust remembrance, seeking to find a meaning from the suffering. But can we still say never again when genocides have happened again, and again, and again? Does the phrase still have meaning? [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Building communities through the stories of individuals
Storytelling is an ancient art that gives voice to our values and our history. Through our stories, we build our communities. But we can only appreciate the depth of these communities when we tell the stories of the individual people who make up the community. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
A new ritual for Yom HaShoah as the fragile window closes
We have reached a tipping point where the Holocaust is changing from an immediate, traumatic memory to community history. At this transition, we have an obligation to frame how we as a Jewish community will commemorate this event for future generations. If we do not create some sort of ritual observance, then I fear that the Holocaust will fade into history, its lessons lost. I brought this idea to a meeting of Jewish educators… [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Does “Never Again” still have meaning?
Never again is the anguished cry of Holocaust remembrance, seeking to find a meaning from the suffering. But can we still say never again when genocides have happened again, and again, and again? Does the phrase still have meaning? [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
How will we remember the Holocaust when there are no survivors left? Ritual.
Today, another Holocaust survivor passed away. I do not know their name – perhaps you do. Unlike their families who were torn from them before their time, some of these people are dying of natural causes, and others, sadly, of COVID-19. We should not be surprised by this. The Holocaust ended 75 years ago. The youngest survivors are in their 80s.
Yom HaShoah in a time of social distancing
Can we still commemorate the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah in a time of social distancing? Yes! Our new service, Light from the Darkness, allows us to honor the survivors’ memories and to learn from their experiences with a ritual of remembrance that can be performed in our homes. [redirects to the Times of Israel]
“There is no Jewish Question”
In mid-1942, the prime minister of Finland, Johann Rangell, was asked by SS chief Heinrich Himmler about the “Jewish Question.” Rangell responded that there was no Jewish Question in Finland, only respected Jewish citizens. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Why we should compare current events to the Holocaust
As a well-known aphorism tells us, a spurious comparison to the Holocaust devolves an argument to a standstill. But a well-placed comparison to the Holocaust can be a call-to-action, can help to highlight bias and create change. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
Can doing nothing be justified?
If my neighbors are threatened, as the Jews were in the Holocaust, what should I do? Should I help my neighbors or should I protect my family? If I wait until the threat is obvious, then I will face such a choice. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Yom HaShoah in a time of social distancing
Can we still commemorate the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah in a time of social distancing? Yes! Our new service, Light from the Darkness, allows us to honor the survivors’ memories and to learn from their experiences with a ritual of remembrance that can be performed in our homes. [redirects to the Times of Israel]
Baby steps: Changing narratives about Jews in Spain
I never really understood Chanukah until I went to Spain. Standing in a church that had been a synagogue until the Jews were all either expelled or murdered, looking at the crucifix hanging where the ark had been, I understood the Maccabees in a whole new way. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
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