I am struggling with fear I feel for all minorities and those with multiple minorities. In my own family are people of color, LGBTQ, immigrants, disabled, Jews – and that’s just reflecting on those closest to me. But hours have passed and we must fight on. The Jewish social justice organization, Bend the Arc, said, in... The post Don’t let post election fear defeat you appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

Dear Life, Slow down! The High Holidays followed quickly by Sukkot and Simchat Torah always make me a little crazed. MASSIVE CELEBRATIONS! My synagogue’s sukkah went up the day after Yom Kippur and the next day mine went up. One of the nice things about Sukkot is that it lasts 8 days (here in the USA).... The post Chag Sukkot Sameach! appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

Make Your Own Sukkah Decorations Let’s get crafty! Join us to make colorful decorations to hang in the sukkah. We will use a variety of craft materials to create Shalom Stars, Peace chains, and garlands and more. Make one item for the Temple Beth Abraham sukkah and lots more to take home. We will have... The post Make Your Own Sukkah Decorations! appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

Yom Kippur is not everyone’s favorite Jewish holiday. No food, an ancient liturgy, and a mournful feeling. Let’s have a new take on it. Yom Kippur Tonight is Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement and Repentance. The theme of this holiday is Teshuva. Doing teshuva (often translated as repentance, but literally meaning ‘return’) is... The post Yom Kippur and Sukkot appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

Here comes 5785! High Holidays Here in America we are tuned into the Gregorian calendar and from that perspective, the High Holidays are VERY late this year. Rosh Hashanah won’t come until October. The last time that happened was 1967! (On the Jewish calendar we are about to begin 5785.) There are a number of... The post The High Holidays bring old traditions and new programs appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

Make Your Own Sukkah Decorations Let’s get crafty! Join us to make colorful decorations to hang in the sukkah. We will use a variety of craft materials to create Shalom Stars, Peace chains, and garlands and more. Make one item for the Temple Beth Abraham sukkah and lots more to take home. We will have... The post Make Your Own Sukkah Decorations! appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

One of the most attractive elements of Judaism – for both Jews and non-Jews – is the tradition of asking questions. Questions are often followed by an argument that is “for the sake of heaven,” meaning to deepen our understanding, not to defeat the other guy. Whether you are learning about Judaism or teaching someone... The post Judaism: A Tradition of Questions appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

I received another email from a person who woke up to being a Jew after October 7. It is so hard to suddenly realize you have a larger identity, a larger family and are hated by much of the world. Add to that that people who reach out to me have often lived a completely... The post When you realize you’re a Jew… and alone appeared first on Building Jewish Bridges ..read more

It’s been a tough year so far and doesn’t seem likely to improve soon. So how about some peaceful and encouraging reading options for Shabbat and the weekend? Willie Mays loved his Jewish friends.The J-weekly shared this story about local baseball legend, Mays. Put your money where your mouth is! Robert Kraft, majority owner of the Patriots, who wanted to help college students facing tremendous anti-Semitism on campus gave a million dollars to Yeshiva University to assure their ability to take transfer students. What a joy to be able to enact your dreams. The Oldest Man in ..read more

I just received permission to share Rabbi Chayva Lehrman of Am Tikvah in San Francisco’s message to her congregation. It is about Shavuot, but a question we can ponder throughout life. “Why was the Torah given in the desert?” asks the midrash. One might think that the Torah, the wellspring of Jewish tradition, should have sprung from a place less…desiccated, perhaps. The midrash, of course, answers its own question. “To teach you that if a person does not hold themselves as unpossessed as the desert, they do not become worthy of the words of the Torah; and that, as the desert has no end, so th ..read more