Rabbis Without Borders

Rabbis Without Borders is a dynamic forum for exploring contemporary issues in the Jewish world and beyond. Written by rabbis of different denominations, viewpoints, and parts of the country, Rabbis Without Borders is a project of Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.

Is “Gimme” the most important prayer?

A few days ago, I stumbled across a terrific quote, which I eventually tracked down to a New York Times ...

America: Killer Food and Hospitals Making Killings

“This,” Witherly said, “is one of the most marvelously constructed foods on the planet, in terms of pure pleasure.” He ...

Offensive or Good Fun?

This past weekend was Purim, a holiday full of laughter, parody and dress up. Fittingly, many Jewish groups release Purim ...

Changing the Subject: Purim and Israeli Politics

Members of my Canadian synagogue are deeply engaged with Israel. Almost all, teens included, have visited the land at least ...

Purim Revelations

As a child, I looked forward to Purim each year. I spent weeks planning my costume and savored the excitement ...

Our Life: Based on a True Story

While there were quite a few excellent movies in 2012, my favorite, far and away was “Argo.” I saw it ...

This year’s Purim costume: True Self

A number of years ago, I was at a Purim party and a male friend attended wearing a dress, make ...

Why This Rabbi Does Not Talk About Israel

Last week, my colleagues Rabbis Rebecca Sirbu and Ben Greenberg shared their opinions here about whether rabbis should talk about Israel, ...

Increasing Purim’s Joy

Purim is coming and the inhabitants of my house are giddy with anticipation. It has long been a favorite holiday ...

Have We Grown Too Big To Succeed?

Affiliation rates are down in suburban Jewish communities across the country. Synagogue structures sit half-empty much of the year. Conservative ...