By Robin Jacobson. We proudly present three new memoirs by DC-area authors Judith Heumann, Esther Safran Foer, and Ron Hoffer. Each book speaks to the Jewish and human experience and offers, in different ways, an example of fortitude and hope especially welcome at this time. Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Activist by …
By Robin Jacobson. What to read during a pandemic? Since the Book of Psalms (Sefer Tehilim) is the traditional Jewish prescription for times of crisis, I opted for a new historical novel about the psalms, Lux by British poet Elizabeth Cook, a wise and wonderful work. Lux takes place partly in the biblical world of …
Today is Rosh Chodesh Iyar, the month in which Israel’s Independence falls – the 5th of Iyar corresponding to April 29, 2020. As this is also the fourth week of the month, for Reflections Off the Bimah, I share this piece from Rabbi Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President at Shalem College in Jerusalem. Gordis is …
Total Reset It’s remarkable. I cannot remember a time when 95% of the world’s news coverage centered on one topic. Sure, it’s hundreds of variations on the ramifications of the virus, but its essentially the same story. How has Coronavirus effected the economy, health care system, politics, environment (positively), worker psychology, churches, synagogue and restaurants? …
It is paradoxical to discuss Passover during an ‘unprecedented’ time of disease. Plagues are a center piece of the Passover narrative. We recognize the plague of frogs (tzfardea) with cute plastic jumping toys; hail (barad) by throwing cotton balls at each other; darkness (choshech) by wearing sun glasses; …
By Robin Jacobson. Even people who think of themselves as essentially good and moral can become enmeshed in lies and deceit. That is one of the themes of Ayelet Gundar-Goshen’s perceptive psychological novel, The Liar. By contrast, in the comedy-drama And the Bride Closed the Door by Ronit Matalon, the issue is not out-and-out lying, …
This is an extraordinary time – COVID-19, economic uncertainty, schools and businesses indefinitely closed, social distancing and isolation. As this is the fourth week of the month, Reflections Off the Bimah features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not …
“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone” —Joni Mitchell ( but you knew that) I’m so glad Megillah Madness was this past Monday. It was raucous, loud, hilarious and so so so so much fun. I literally think if Purim had fallen one week later, we …
We have quickly become consumed by concern for coronavirus, COVID-19. Store shelves have been emptied of hand sanitizers and bleach wipes. I have heard of confrontations over face masks. Some public spaces are closing or limiting access. The best advice has been to wash your hands and pay attention to the CDC and Maryland Dept …
By Robin Jacobson. Best-selling author Steven Pressfield was in Israel researching a book when he first heard the legend of the lamed-vovniks, the 36 righteous individuals upon whom the fate of the world rests. Immediately, the irreverent thought popped into his head, “So, what would happen if someone started murdering those 36 guys?” Intrigued, Pressfield …
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. I share this Facebook post (2.25.20) from Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Senior Rabbi at …
IMG_0928 IMG_0928 I know it’s cliche, but really, you should have seen the view from up there on those snow capped mountains, 2 miles in the thin Colorado air. I thought snow tubing would be a fun idea for the choir to do as a local activity while we were “on tour” in Denver. As …
(This blog was written in Tirana, Albania but could not be posted till I returned.) Albania was never on my travel bucket list yet here I sit at a cafe in Tirana, Albania on a break from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on anti-Semitism. Two weeks ago, I former student of …
By Robin Jacobson. One day, anthropologist Maggie Paxson suddenly decided to “study war no more.” Weary and dispirited from fieldwork in violent, strife-torn countries, Paxson resolved to switch her research to human decency and altruism. This led her to a cluster of mountain villages on the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon in south-central France – one of only …
This is the fifth week of the month and allows for another outside blog. I am focusing this week’s blog on the relentless scourge of anti-semitism. The hatred of the Jewish People and its morphing into the hatred of the State of Israel continues to be dangerous around the world. From college campuses in America …
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. As yesterday was the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I share …
One of my greatest wishes since I began taking conversational Hebrew in college has been to speak Hebrew fluently, well enough to converse with Israelis, read Hebrew newspapers and teach my children Hebrew. As a singer, I have a particular affinity for languages, and the classical repertoire in particular, demands we learn at least French, …
By Robin Jacobson. As the poet Emily Dickinson famously wrote, “There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away.” The magic of historical novels is their power to transport us to times long gone. Want to time travel to American cities of yesteryear? Try these captivating new historical novels; both illuminate the …
“Why do people want to hurt Jews?” That was the question a group of 5th grade Religious School students asked me recently. What a distressing question to hear children ask. How discouraging that our efforts to protect their childhood have been pierced by acts of violence covered intensely by social media and news outlets. Fear, …
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. This week’s guest article comes from our very own Tali Moscowitz, who is …
Can you help save a life? There is a beloved member of our community in need of a kidney. This member has taught hundreds of our children to speak Hebrew, know the Jewish holidays, learn Jewish songs. This person creates beautiful works of art, sculptures, paintings, that belong in a major collection. It was once …
In 1995, a new book was published which I devoured. God Was Not in the Fire: The Search for a Spiritual Judaism was written by Rabbi Daniel Gordis, then head of the Conservative Movement’s seminary in Los Angeles. As I was considering rabbinical school myself, I became absorbed with his writing and ideas about Judaism’s …
By Robin Jacobson. Airplane travel is a miracle of the modern age, but it is not always fun. Flights can be delayed, seating can be claustrophobic, and row mates can be challenging, particularly if you get stuck in a middle seat. Even the CEO of United Airlines has compared airline travel to going to the …
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. I share this article by Ruth Kaplan published last year in “Jewish Boston.” …
When I was a boy, my grandparents were my most significant Jewish influence. We always spent parts of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur with them, going to the great shul on Hooks Ln in Baltimore, Beth El. The Rabbi then was Mark Loeb, an exceptional human being who had rare oratory skills and was …
Beth El’s theme of the year is Shmirat HaGuf – Caring for Our Bodies. Across the congregation, we will explore our physical, mental, spiritual, and relationship health. Our lives are pulled in so many directions and caring for ourselves often gets lowest priority. There are countless podcasts and numerous articles encouraging us to slow down, …
By Robin Jacobson. Each semester when Georgetown University professor Charles King meets new college students in his social science classes, he discovers that many hold two discordant beliefs. On the one hand, the students wholly condemn racism and white nationalism and decry America’s long history of oppressing Native Americans and African Americans. On the other …
This is the fifth week of the month and allows for another outside blog. Sharing in the Nats’ World Series victory this week, let’s celebrate Jews involved in professional baseball including 3rd baseman Alex Bregman (Astros) and owner Ted Lerner (Nationals). And for those worried about what to do in the baseball ‘off season’… pitchers …
This is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. I share this article from Rabbi Danny Siegel. Rabbi Siegel has been on …
In about 15 minutes my Dad is going to arrive to help me put up my Sukkah. It takes me back to our home in Baltimore circa 1995 when we built our first Sukkah on the deck of the townhouse while I blasted Hootie and The Blowfish from my boombox . My Dad actually worked …
There was a wonderful feeling throughout Beth El during Rosh Hashana. People reconnected with each other, reflected on the past year and hopefully gained new clarity on issues or struggles they may be facing. We prayed together, learned together and sang together. Our community’s vibrancy was felt. Next week is Yom Kippur and we will …
By Robin Jacobson. When we tell the story of Israel, it’s often a story about European Jews. Theodor Herzl of Vienna dreamt of a Jewish state; David Ben-Gurion, born in Poland, proclaimed Israel’s statehood; and other European Jews escaped the Holocaust to build modern Israel. Yet half of today’s Israeli Jews have ancestral roots in …
This week is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. I share this article from the Times of Israel as Rosh Hashanah …
By Robin Jacobson. In August 1940, Varian Fry bid farewell to his comfortable life in New York City and headed for Nazi-controlled France. He hoped to rescue 200 prominent artists and authors, many Jewish, who had fled German-occupied countries for France, initially a safe haven. Now these luminaries, all blacklisted by the Nazis, were in …
This is the fifth week of the month and allows for another outside blog. As Saturday and Sunday begin the month of Elul, I offer this blog by Alon Goshen-Gottstein which was originally published in the Times of Israel (ToI). The ToI describes him as the founder and director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute. He …
This week is the fourth week of the month. For Reflections Off the Bimah, the fourth week features thought leaders from throughout the Jewish world and beyond. These special posts give you the opportunity to consider important opinions you may not readily encounter. I share this blog after spending an afternoon with my daughters at …
It’s hard to know what to say anymore. 253 mass shootings in 2019 alone in America and people are devastated. Just check out this Time Cover listing every city with a mass shooting this year. America is sick, it is polarized, it is nasty, it is angry and it is deeply wounded. Some people blame …
Camp Swig no longer exists. It was the summer camp I attended in the 70’s and 80’s in Saratoga, CA. Established in the 50’s, it was long the only Jewish summer camp of the Reform Movement on the West Coast. The grounds held a camp that my father attended when he was a youth but …
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