Earlier this week I had the pleasure of visiting with Imam Syed Ali of the Iqra Darul Ehsan Mesgid in Suffern. We had a long and wide ranging discussion, discovering many commonalities not only within our cultural and religious experiences, but also in how we perceive the need for growth and…
I sent my daughter off to school on Yom Haatzmaut earlier this week wearing a blue skirt, white tshirt, and Tzahal sweatshirt, with a smile on her face and a song in her heart as she and the entire school sang Hatikvah together on the steps outside. I smiled and laughed, and my own heart bea…
This Passover has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster for many of us - the happiness of celebrating with family tempered by the knowledge that a loving family in Israel has been torn from its foundations in a terror attack.
The next few weeks are another journey - from sorrow to hop…
Recently, as I often do on my drive to work, I was listening to a podcast - one of many incredible episodes by my former colleague Rabbi David Bashevkin on his 18 Forty Podcast. In several discussions, he was exploring the dynamics of families who are confronted by generational change and cr…
Two events related to the scourge of antisemitism culminated this week in action - one proactive and one reactive. As a Federation, we have to address issues as they come up, but we also have an opportunity to plan and execute policy or programming in a strategic way.
Several weeks ago, I b…
