We are learning and re-learning that the work of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is slow, iterative, and requires building a relational culture among the BJ staff and the BJ […]
For the past ten weeks, an incredible tension has been eating at my heart. In the days immediately following November’s election, Biden’s call for unity resonated with me deeply. I […]
In stark contrast to 2020—a year of horror and despair—2021 is a year full of hope. We have arrived, at long last, at the end of four years of a […]
Start Date: May 24, 2021 Since our founding in 1825, B’nai Jeshurun (BJ) has been at the forefront of the American Jewish experience. As we approach our third century, our […]
Last Wednesday began like most school days this year. I woke up, davenned, made breakfast for my kids, and then walked them to school accompanied by our dog. (My kids, […]
One of my favorite Hasidic tales is about the wandering brothers, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizensk and Rabbi Zushe of Anipoli. The two brothers were often found among the people teaching, […]
Today we mark the final day of Hanukkah, and in doing so, mark our final holiday in the cycle of a year of hagim at home and in isolation. The […]
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Last January, I began studying Daf Yomi, a seven and a half year journey through the entire Babylonian Talmud, at the rate of one page a day. Thousands of people […]
As we prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, a festival whose name literally means “dedication,” we invite each of us to consider how we might rededicate ourselves: towards deeper Jewish learning and […]
7:45AM- I turn my computer on and sign into Zoom. I put on tallit and tefillin and recite a couple of quiet prayers in preparation for Shaharit, then I sit […]
The Talmud (Berakhot 54b) declares that there are four types of people who must offer thanks to God with a thanks-offering and a special blessing: seafarers, those who walk in […]
My husband, Jeremy, and I both agree that, whenever we move into a new apartment, it doesn’t quite feel like home until we have hosted our first Shabbat dinner. Our […]
Throughout the past nine months, through the anxiety and fear, the isolation and frustration caused by COVID-19, our community has stayed connected across the physical distance. We have held each […]
This past Shabbat, my family and I were called to our kitchen window by the sound of crowds cheering, cars honking, and noisemakers of all kinds in the street. Urged […]
Parashat Hayei Sarah begins with the death of Sarah and ends with the death of Abraham. It is here that, for the first time, the Torah tells us about burial […]
This was said to be the election of a lifetime, the most consequential and fateful of presidential elections in a very long time, maybe ever. We were all very much […]
R’ Yehuda said to : That is not what happened; but each tribe was unwilling to be the first to enter the sea. Then sprang forward Nachshon the son of […]
The first time I saw a sky full—really full—of stars, I was 19 years old. I was in the tiny mountain village of Las Delicias in central Honduras, hours away […]
So you want to talk to your parents about politics. That’s great! It’s really important to get involved in democracy, especially given the state of our country. Maybe you have […]
The present political atmosphere is one of unprecedented magnitude. As polarizing as our opinions can be, we must remember that we are all human and deserve respect. As I reflect […]
This is a playlist of songs to make Election Day a little easier for everyone! You can listen to it while waiting in line at the polls, sitting at home […]
Each year, when my Tuesday lunchtime class starts up again, it finally feels like the long holiday season has come to a close and “regular” time is officially back in […]
As we approach the twenty-fifth yahrzeit of Yitzhak Rabin z”l, we honor his memory by sharing his words, and the words of others, about his life. […]
Family Life and Learning Health and Safety Protocols As of October 16, 2020 This plan has been formulated based on guidelines from The CDC, The Department of Health and Mental […]
As a Teen Executive Board, we have chosen the issue of Environmental Racism for our Tzedek Project. As young people watching and participating in the recent call for anti-racism, we […]
Last week, NY State launched COVID Alert NY, an app built on open source code bases. This app allows you to participate in a voluntary network of exposure alerting. COVID […]
In 2019, B’nai Jeshurun embarked on the next leg of our ongoing journey to be an inclusive community and spiritual home to all who come through our doors. We launched […]
BJ has been a longtime supporter of West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH). Every year, BJ members donate to WSCAH on the night of Kol Nidre, responding tothe words of […]
Every year, as the High Holy Days approach, we have the opportunity to reflect on how we have showed up in this world, especially in our relationships. How have I […]
The High Holy Days season is an opportunity to reflect not only on our relationships with other people, but also on our relationship to Judaism and to God (however you […]
We are thrilled to welcome Jane Blumenstein, LMSW, as our new social worker and to welcome her to BJ. Typically, we joyfully usher in the new year and then turn […]
All year, every year, BJ volunteers make amazing things happen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, it wasn’t a surprise that over 150 BJ members stepped up to offer […]
From prayer and learning to volunteering and social connections, each week, thousands of BJ members and friends connect with each other over Zoom. We have gotten a lot of questions […]
Some people love a good plan. They want to know their schedule days, or sometimes weeks, in advance. They thrive on routine and live for order. Others, like yours truly, […]
As the rabbis shared earlier this summer, our commitment to the health and safety of the staff and members lives in tension with the community’s deep desire to be together. […]
WAKE UP: Birkot Hashahar What it Is Originally said upon waking and arising, these blessings express gratitude for being awake, for being alive, and for being right here—who we are, […]
I continue to be both honored and humbled at the accomplishments of our special BJ community, including our dedicated spiritual leadership and staff. Thanks to your participation and financial support, […]
In her book King Solomon’s Table, a collection of Jewish recipes from around the world, Joan Nathan asked a chef why he continues to make his family’s traditional recipes. He […]
The Jewish people are known as “the people of the book”, but we also have a long tradition of oral storytelling. Early in the Torah, Moses explains to the Israelites […]
“Waze to the Light” programs and resources guide BJ members and the larger community through the holiday season, providing reflection, engagement, and community while transcending physical distance. Through its innovative […]
Al tishkah! Don’t forget! This week’s Torah portion, Ki Tetze, has the largest number of mitzvot (72) of any portion. It concludes with mitzvot that are particularly challenging. “Remember what […]
Over the past few weeks, a controversy has erupted on the Upper West Side regarding the temporary use of local hotels to shelter men experiencing homelessness. The majority of these […]
On Tisha Be’Av, it is customary to read from the Book of Lamentations. The text describes in detail the destruction of the Temple of Zion, and the toll it took […]
First and most importantly, as we live each day in a very different world around us, we hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy and well. We […]
One of my favorite stories is the classic Buddhist story of two monks: a student and teacher who are walking in the forest, each having vowed never to touch a […]
Our final haftarah of this three-week period of reflection and grief begins with Isaiah’s hazon (vision)—thus earning the title “Shabbat Hazon.” As in the case of the haftarot of the […]
BJ member Zach Cohn has set up a program that offers over-the-phone technical help for free. The goal is to provide a way for seniors to get help with technology […]
Jeremiah 1:1 – 2:3 In the first of three special Haftarot of Admonition during the three weeks between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha Be’Av, we meet Jeremiah, as he […]
The Lord said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people. When you have seen it, you too shall […]
Looking for more Jewish adult learning opportunities this summer? Two of BJ’s partners, the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Hadar, are offering a multitude of classes throughout the […]
Two hundred and forty-four years ago this weekend, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence, freeing the 13 colonies from subordination under the British monarchy. Generations […]
We would like to take the opportunity to share our Kadima@BJ plan for the fall with you. We have made the decision to hold Kadima@BJ virtually from September-December. This decision […]
In recognition of the great effort it has taken on the part of the BJ staff to transition to VirtuShul during these unprecedented and challenging times, the BJ leadership has […]
The first teaching of Pirkei Avot, the classic Jewish text on ethics, ends with the injunction: וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה Build a fence around the Torah. For most commentators, the message […]
In parashat Korah, we read of the Levite member of B’nai Yisrael of the same name, who leads a rebellion over the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. In response, Moshe […]
B’nai Jeshurun is seeking part-time creative, dedicated, and tech-competent educators to teach in our Hebrew School program, Kadima@BJ. We are searching for enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals who will partner with […]
In his best-known work, The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides puzzles over an often-overlooked moment in this week’s parashah1. After both the episode of the spies and Moses’ subsequent appeal […]
While the Torah reading for the first day of Shavuot chronicles the moments leading up to revelation at Sinai, the reading for the second day of Shavuot speaks about the […]
As we move toward Shavuot we prepare to receive Torah once again, readying ourselves for what the gift of Torah might mean for each of us at this moment in […]
We enter this Shabbat Bamidbar, in the seventh and last week of the Counting of the Omer and within spiritual reach of Mount Sinai, ready to receive the Torah once […]
This week, as we begin the book of Bamidbar, we find the Israelites continuing their journey through the wilderness of Sinai. Still nomadic and not yet settled in the land […]
It’s been a journey of space-making and compromise. As a rabbinical student, I’m used to navigating between communities in my public and personal life. I’m a Jew-by-choice, an interfaith organizer, and […]
For many of us, this Passover was unlike any other, and required innovating and adapting to our current circumstances. We want to hear about some of the things you’ve learned. […]
Thanks to a longtime BJ member who has been making face shields at home and has spearheaded this effort, we are putting together 25 make-at-home kits. Each kit will include […]
Counting the Omer has taken on new meaning for me this year. Each time I sit down to study the daily or weekly attributes, each time I focus on a […]
In the opening verses of this week’s double parashah, our text revisits a troubling narrative from several weeks ago: the traumatic and unexplained deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu. […]
My bar mitzvah parashah is Aharei Mot, “After the Death.” It takes place right after the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s two sons, who were killed by God after […]
I haven’t had a moment yet to really process all that has happened in our world. At first, each fragment of energy was dedicated to my work; engaging and supporting […]
In this week’s parashah, Tazria-Metzora, we read of the conditions that make one exist in a state of tumah (often translated as impurity) and detailed step-by-step instructions on how to […]
“There is something about eating animals that tends to polarize: never eat them or never sincerely question eating them; become an activist or disdain activists. These opposing positions—and the closely […]
Letter to the Editor Published in the New York Jewish Week on March 29 2020 To the Editor-in-Chief of The Jewish Week, Andrew Silow-Carroll From: Peninnah Schram Dear Editor, I […]
וַהֲסִרֹתִי֙ אֶת־כַּפִּ֔י וְרָאִ֖יתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָ֑י וּפָנַ֖י לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ׃ Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.” —Exodus 33:23 […]
Jim Melchiorre, SPSA, co-chair of the BJ/SPSA Racial Justice Task Force: Among the three-year rotating collection of scripture SPSA reads during the season of Lent is a story from the […]
In a few weeks from now, we will mark Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror attacks. There is almost no one in Israeli society […]
Dear Families, As we begin our preparation for Passover, our amazing Family Life and Learning Team has compiled resources and activities to bring the retelling of the story of our […]
וַיִּשְׁחָט וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה מִדָּמוֹ וַיִּתֵּן עַל-תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן-אַהֲרֹן הַיְמָנִית וְעַל-בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל-בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית: וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת-בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה מִן-הַדָּם עַל-תְּנוּךְ אָזְנָם הַיְמָנִית וְעַל-בֹּהֶן יָדָם הַיְמָנִית וְעַל-בֹּהֶן רַגְלָם הַיְמָנִית וַיִּזְרֹק […]
This week we begin a new book of the Torah, marking the end of Exodus narrative and diving deep into the Israelite’s need to create structure in their new reality […]
Many of our programs and services have moved to VirtuShul, our virtual shul—a living, connected, loving, virtual community. VirtuShul is powered by Zoom video conferencing software, making our community accessible […]
On Tuesday, my family and I came out of 14 days of precautionary quarantine—a result of our children’s school being an early locus of COVID-19 cases. The quarantine brought out […]
The oldest institution of higher learning in the modern state of Israel is not Hebrew University on Mount Scopus, though that august university was founded over 100 years ago. Rather, […]
Early last week we shared the news that one of our families might have been exposed to the coronavirus. Today, that family reported to BJ that they all tested negative for COVID-19; […]
As a large community that gathers together frequently, we thought it prudent to remind everyone of the current information regarding the coronavirus. At the bottom of this post, you will […]
Parashat Terumah, known for its detailed laundry list of instructions for the construction of the Mishkan, begins in a slightly different tone than the verses that follow: God requests that […]
The first gallery of the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL—a project of Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative—contains a series of life-size holograms of black slaves locked in pens. They are waiting to be […]
Delivered at B’nai Jeshurun — Yom Kippur 2016 It is an honor to share my mother’s story with my congregation and I want to thank the rabbis of BJ for […]
Beginning Sunday evening and into Monday, we will celebrate Tu Bishvat, the new year of the trees. One of four different dates marking a new year in the Jewish calendar, […]
Midnight Run coordinates over 1,000 relief missions per year, in which volunteers from churches, synagogues, schools, and other civic groups distribute food, clothing, blankets, and personal care items to the […]
One month from now, we’ll gather on Rosh Hashanah and read from the Torah about Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Avram and Sarai, cast off into the wilderness along with […]
In conversation recently, someone asked me, “what does Judaism mean to you?” I responded, “It is my home in this world.” It came out so quickly, and with such certainty, […]
When I began seriously reading about Judaism in my early teens, I never felt like I was reading about a foreign group. Instead, the entire process of converting to Judaism, […]
My choice to convert seemed like an organic act. It felt like the path I was meant to take. My parents were from Puerto Rico, and I grew up in […]
Prayer: I would start there. Heschel writes that prayer is a radical act; prayer demands we remove the blinders covering our eyes—and our souls—throw convention aside, and search at our […]
I wrote the following words more than three years ago; an excerpt from the D’var Torah at my Bat Mitzvah: In Parashat Tetzaveh the Israelites are given instructions to construct […]
Ever since I was a young girl, I felt a strong sense of relationship with God. I was raised Catholic and I was lucky that my Sunday school was led […]
I was born in Mexico City, where it felt like being Mexican was synonymous with being Catholic. Growing up, I was never forced to participate in religious services but I […]
