Rabbi Jeremy Simons
Rabbi Jeremy Simons is Director of Rabbinic Services at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. He travels to communities throughout the South with no full time rabbis of their own, providing Jewish resources and rabbinic support.
Articles by Rabbi Jeremy Simons
What Makes This Bat Mitzvah Different From All Others…?
The Talmud records Rabbi Chanina as stating, “I have learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the ...
When Running Out of Prayer Books Is A Good Thing
Recently I had the privilege of participating in the Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference in Natchez, MS, organized by the ...
Why The Swastika at HUC Restored This Alum’s Faith
On any given day, if I spend five minutes scrolling through Facebook I’m likely to see 20 posts bringing attention to ...
On Being a Rabbi in Mississippi, Taking the Stand (Literally) Against Discrimination
When I began my position as Director of Rabbinic Services at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life just over two years ...
At Passover & Always: On Freedom, Religion… And Welcoming Everyone
Sometimes, being Southern and Jewish means raising our voice. The Board of Directors of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life ...
#TBT: Reflecting on Last Week’s MLK Service Day
If you ever want to visit the ISJL office, make sure not to come on a Friday. Chances are, you ...
We Don’t Count People… Because All People Count
Every few months, I receive a tentative “cold call” from a congregation interested in using the services of the ISJL ...
The Mystery of Those Mini Kiddush Cups
I’ve made Kiddush in synagogue social halls countless times. Most of my life I stood there holding a humble plastic ...
The Steampunk Coffee… Synagogue
Editor’s Note: This is the blog we had scheduled to run today: a lovely piece about any gathering place becoming ...
Mensch Madness Game 7: Semfinals, Donkey vs. Golden Calf!
Here we are in the Mensch Madness semi-finals, with both opponents having vanquished their morally-inferior opponents in order to earn ...