The Meaning of ‘Semicha’
How did a word that means “leaning” become the way to describe the act of becoming a rabbi?
Rabbis in States with Abortion Restrictions Find Hope in Interfaith Work
Jewish leaders in states with trigger bans hope interfaith activism may help them advocate for reproductive health.
Ask the Rabbis | How Would You Counsel a Parent and Child Who Are Estranged?
I wouldn’t. Assuming the child in question is an adult, and depending on the degree to which the estrangement has festered, and barring cases of abuse, trying to heal such rifts is misplaced effort.
Ask the Rabbis | Can Jews Married to Non-Jews be Considered Spiritual Leaders in the Jewish Community?
Why not? Moses was not such a bad spiritual leader of our people, and he was married to Tziporah the Midianite.
Ask the Rabbis | Does Jewish Law Offer Guidance on How to Fight a War?
Before engaging an enemy in combat, we must offer to negotiate a peace (Deuteronomy 20:10).
Ask the Rabbis | How Is Judaism Different After Half a Century of Female Clergy?
Fifty years ago, Sally Priesand was ordained as a Reform rabbi, the first woman clergy member in American Jewish history. To mark this anniversary, we asked rabbis, male and female, to reflect.
Ask the Rabbis | Is Political Compromise a Jewish Virtue?
That’s how Abraham resolves his dispute with Lot over grazing lands: “If you head left, I’ll head right. If you head right, I’ll go left” (Genesis 13:9).
Ask the Rabbis | How Do You Deal With People in Your Community Who Don’t Want to Get Vaccinated?
I don’t. It is not my place to nudge people to get or not to get vaccinated.
Beshert | From Longing to Belonging
As a young woman, Rabbi Judith Edelstein longed for a deeper connection to Judaism. She found it by chance when she picked up a flier at her son’s nursery school.
Ask the Rabbis | How Can We Avoid the Trap of Self-Righteousness?
Everyone wants to be right—in the right way. What’s the line between striving for moral perfection and being a jerk?
Ask the Rabbis | Does Absolute Evil Exist, and If So, What Does It Look Like Today?
Evil was introduced the moment God looked at Creation and “saw that it was good!” For the existence of good implies the existence of evil, just as big implies small and cold implies hot.
Ask the Rabbis | Post-Pandemic, What Elements of Virtual Judaism Will We Keep?
In 2018, as synagogues pondered livestreaming some services for the convenience of infirm relatives, we asked the rabbis to contemplate what was surely a distant, speculative future: “What role should virtual presence play in Jewish ritual and community?”