Author: Natanya Herzstein

On an evening in June of last year, Judith, a BJ volunteer, and I had the privilege of welcoming a Guatemalan refugee family to NYC, ...

In honor of HIAS’ 2023 Annual Refugee Shabbat, we are sharing stories from BJ members who have volunteered their time to support refugees, asylum seekers, ...

We are excited to welcome Rabbi Adina Lewittes back to BJ as a Shabbat Scholar in Residence on March 3-4, when she will be exploring ...

I was 7 years old when I decided I wanted to be Jewish. That’s right. This rabbi began her life as a Catholic. The epiphany happened ...

This past weekend, I was blessed to be with our BJ Teens in Arizona, learning about immigration in America. In our first moments of the ...

I distinctly remember the first time I picked up a book of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s in the library of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. ...

Looking to get more involved at BJ in 2023? There are plenty of ways to volunteer—plus two new opportunities to connect, meet new people, and ...

Last Saturday night, my family and I brought in the new secular year with 4,000 of our closest friends. At 11:30 PM, the four of ...

One of the most powerful Jewish rituals for me, is the ritual of immersing in a mikveh—a Jewish ritual bath made of “mayyim hayyim” (living ...

The week of Hanukkah mirrors the reality in our lives that, most often, human achievement comes slowly, bit by bit, with commitment, patience, and discipline. ...

The World Cup final between Argentina and France this past Sunday in Qatar was spectacular, exhilarating, and electric. Definitely not for the faint of heart. ...

I was born to play Elizabeth Bennett. I’d been reading Pride and Prejudice, over and over since I was 9 years old, and I knew ...

I recently returned from a trip to Israel and Palestine sponsored by Combatants for Peace, and I am happy to share some stories of how ...

It has been many years now since I was on a silent retreat sponsored by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. The morning schedule included a ...

We celebrate Hanukkah during the Northern Hemisphere’s darkest time of the year. Amidst this darkness, I am fortunate to be surrounded by an abundance of ...

How do we understand transformation? How can light enter a world bathed in so much darkness? Last year, on the 8th day of Hanukkah, my ...

Even when it doesn’t appear that sustaining light is possible. Even when the odds are not in our favor. Even when there is uncertainty about ...

On a good night, in the midst of our despair trying to rock a crying baby back to sleep at 3:00 AM, either my husband, ...

Every month I’m fortunate to meet with a “spiritual director”—a practitioner who is trained to guide people through questions pertaining to their spiritual lives. No ...

Have you heard? Shabbat is all the rage. Just this week, a New York Times article reported on what appears to be a growing trend ...

In the past few weeks, we’ve lived through antisemitic rants and conspiracy theories dominating news headlines, exposing the pervasiveness and rise of Jew hatred in ...

Throughout our Back Home Shabbaton, I was struck not only by the diversity of stories that our members brought into our synagogue but also the accents ...

This past weekend, over 500 BJ community members and guests filled our sanctuary and community house at the Back Home Shabbaton—kicking off a year of ...

An old, popular Spanish saying, “Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres”—“Tell me who you walk with and I’ll tell you who you ...

At one stage or another in our lives, we’ve all experienced the feeling of being stuck in a rut. We may look around at our ...

There are currently more than 60,000 people in the New York City shelter system—including the thousands of asylum seekers who have been bused to New ...

Shabbat wasn’t always a part of my life. It was when I was a child: Growing up, Shabbat was a constant, a day joyfully distinct ...

As threats to our democracy and election processes become increasingly common and profound, each of us has a role to play in helping to ensure ...

When my children and I walked home from shul on Simhat Torah, I felt exhaustion and relief deep in my bones. It’s been three years ...

The Kabbalists (Jewish mystics) instituted a practice of inviting ushpizin (celestial guests) to join us in the sukkah. They imagined that we could welcome a ...

In this time of extreme food insecurity, our neighbors at West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH) strive to alleviate hunger by ensuring that all New ...

Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect on the previous year and contemplate changes for the upcoming one. As you light the Rosh Hashanah candles, ...

Community Kiddush is back! Based on the community’s input, we are excited to share some initial changes to Kiddush that will align with our aspirational ...

In the early 1990s, the word spread out that we were a congregation that was open to gays and lesbians. That people didn’t have to ...

I celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah with a Minha service surrounded by family, friends, and a community of people, many of whom had known me ...

As members of a community whose core values are rooted in inclusivity, community, and growth, we are constantly looking to grow in ways that reflect ...

As every camp enthusiast knows, a “camp wrist” is necessary for the summer. When I was at camp this past summer, I brought bracelet-making beads for ...

As I come to the end of my time as a MTM Rabbinic Fellow at BJ, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be ...

When people ask me why I’ve spent so much time, effort, and energy working for LGBTQ+ equality, my typical answer is that I am a ...

Some of the most vivid Jewish memories from my childhood took place in the social hall of Lower Merion Synagogue. Every week, after we sang the ...

The very first thing we learn about us humans in the opening chapter of Genesis is that every person is made in the image of ...

On Wednesday morning I received an alert with new information about the mass shooting in Uvalde: The 19 children and two teachers that were murdered ...

The BJ Civil Rights Journey to the South took us from Alabama to Georgia, through historic places that came alive through a collection of stories ...

BJ teens had a wonderful community-building weekend at the 6th Grade Retreat at Ramah Nyack. They spent Shabbat together singing, laughing, and praying—joining in spirited ...

In some ways, last Shabbat was like every other Shabbat I have celebrated with You. It was framed by the light of the Shabbat candles ...

I feel fairly confident in speaking for most parents of young children when I say this: There’s no better gift than an entire weekend of ...

On a family trip to England many years ago, we visited the famous hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace. At one point I became separated ...

At the age of 74, the State of Israel is still considered to be a young nation. Israel and its people have accomplished much, and ...

We were shocked, dismayed, and disappointed to hear about the Supreme Court’s draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. The impact will be wide and ...

As we transitioned out of Passover this past week, I felt a bit of the letdown that comes from going from a time of freedom ...

Judaism commands us to pursue justice in all aspects of our society and our lives, as the Torah tells us, “tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” “Justice, justice ...

I have a vivid memory of being in my childhood house the morning of Erev Pesah (the night before Passover). The windows were slightly open ...

The rabbi of my childhood was a man of the “Greatest Generation.” He would ascend to the pulpit to give a sermon, ceremoniously take off ...

Within voting lies the power to make change. We are proud to join with a coalition of Upper West Side faith communities to partner with the ...

Heschel articulated the devastation of 1943 in the following terms: "There has never been so much guilt and distress, agony, and terror. At no time ...

As Pesah begins, we feel all our senses come to life. Our seder plate—filled with the shank bone (zeroa), egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), vegetable ...

Purim 2020 was an uncertain, fearful time as the world started to become nervous about COVID-19. Two years later, Jews around the world were thrilled ...

Judaism demands we bring awareness and holiness to all the ways we eat, access, and purchase food. Our vast and complex food system is interconnected with ...

The central event of Parashat Shemini is the death of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu. As a traditional understanding of the story goes, God kills ...

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, my Jewish community in Philadelphia was very active in the Soviet Jewry movement. In school we learned about refuseniks, and ...

The situation in Ukraine continues to weigh heavily on our hearts, as we see the catastrophic unnecessary loss of life, the lives needlessly uprooted, people ...

Last Shabbat started like every other Shabbat for me, with the lighting of candles. However, unlike most Shabbatot, I was not standing with my family. ...

A CSA is partnership between local farms and individuals so residents of New York City can enjoy fresh produce straight from a local farm. When ...

Given the tragic events unfolding around the world while so much is happening at BJ, we felt it was time to share another edition of BJ ...

On Purim, we are invited into a topsy turvy existence of our own making, putting on masks and reveling in the hidden. In a much ...

Since 2016, BJ’s refugee and immigration committees have been actively working to help support refugees as they rebuild their lives in the United States. As ...

Over this past weekend, I traveled with 11 BJ Teens to Urban Adamah in Berkeley, California. We were given the opportunity to think about a ...

The world generates more than 2 billion tons of waste every year, and 14 million tons of waste and recyclables in New York City alone. ...

For two years, the pandemic has forced us to disconnect from the lives we used to live. We are all fatigued, and discouraged by the ...

Megillat Esther is the literal scroll of parchment that the Hebrew text of the book of Esther is written on, but is most often used ...

One of the most important mitzvot of Purim is to host a seudah (a festive meal) on Purim day. Since Purim is known as a ...

The mitzvah of mishloah manot (literally: sending gift packages) consists of sending gifts of food to friends and neighbors. These gifts strengthen the ties that ...

Giving matanot le’evyonim (literally, gifts to the poor) is a core mitzvah of Purim. In modern times, this can take the form of direct presents, ...

Fearing that Moshe will never return from the mountain where he speaks with God, the Israelites fashion a golden calf—combining their resources in much the ...

Help BJ spread Adar joy with homemade hamentaschen! Your freshly baked hamentaschen will be donated to BJ’s lunch program guests and to the Goddard Riverside ...

It’s true that football is a brutal sport. But if you reduce its attraction to being a modern equivalent of gladiator events at the Colosseum, ...

Step into the spotlight, add your voice, and play a part in BJ’s Purim Cabaret—a revue of song parodies that will be performed during our ...

The physicality of welcoming Shabbat each week during “Lekha Dodi” is a magical moment and one in which many of us can relate to. There ...

For some Jews, February 1 simply marks the beginning of a new month—a transition from one cold winter month to the next. But for me ...

Planet Earth is on fire: Our dependence on fossil fuels has led us to the perilous situation of rapidly rising global temperatures. Reducing our personal ...

One of the most humbling aspects of the rabbinate is accompanying people through the literal or figurative valley of the shadow of death. In my ...

What are we supposed to do with so much fear? We are in the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, frustrated and beyond tired of ...

This reading of Miriam’s prophecy cast the concept of “prophecy” itself into a new light for me. Rashi's take on Miriam’s dance caused me to ...

Two years ago this week, on January 5, 2020, I joined a very special club. For most of its existence, this club was fairly exclusive. Women’s ...