One Lucky Girl
KATARINA KRONRAD fulfills her bat mitzvah project with a trip to China and the orphanage that was her home for the first years of her life
Creating a Sacred Community
One of the most compelling reasons for being in a community is the support it provides at times of loss. STACY GITTLEMAN describes how a bat mitzvah girl learned this far too young
Allowing the Deaf to be Jews
ALEXIS KASHAR, who is deaf, and RABBI PAMELA BARMASH, who is on the Conservative movement’s Committee on Law and Standards, introduce a teshuvah that welcomes a long-ignored community into Jewish life
Early Morning Traditions
JAN LEE encourages people to go to a morning minyan even if they’re not saying kaddish
Wrapping Down Under: Australia Joins the World Wide Wrap
EVAN RUMACK introduces people from the other side of the world who will be participating in FJMC’s annual tefillin-wearing program
A Garden Grows in Michigan
DEBRA B. DARVICK describes an unusually spiritual addition to a Michigan synagogue
Miracle of a Single Flame
There are reasons why the candles in our chanukiot must be in a row, teaches RABBI AARON ALEXANDER
WOMENSPEAK - Judith: More Than Just a Cheesy Story
LISA KOGEN connects the apocryphal story of Judith decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes to the Maccabean revolt against the Greeks
Persian Recipes for Chanukah
Cookbook author REYNA SIMNEGAR, a descendant of anousim, offers some of her favorite Persian Chanukah treats
CJ Reviews - Sacred Trash: The Lost and Found World of the Cairo Geniza, by Adina Hoffman & Peter Cole
Reviewed by DR. ILANA SASSON
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times for Women Rabbis
In speaking with women at various stages of their rabbinic careers, JOANNE PALMER finds that there is both good and bad news
Clothing and Jewish Women
Scholars of American Jewish history and education, DR. CAROL K. INGALL and DR. SHULY RUBIN SCHWARTZ present a tantalizing look at how what we wear reflects more than just our opinions on hemlines
A Life of Innovation and Dedication
NATALIE BERNSTEIN introduces the remarkable Dr. Barbara Levin, who has dedicated her life to the health of Monroe County, Tennessee, while maintaining her commitment to her synagogue and sisterhood
Song of the Sea: Jewish Life in the Caribbean
A small chavurah on an island paradise is unusual for many reasons, including its virtual rabbi, RABBI JUAN MEJÍA, the first Latino convert ordained by JTS
Coming Back to Judaism
Finding out that her family had been Jewish for generations helped SONYA LOYA find healing and happiness
Israel: Our Loyalty and Love Undiminished
According to CHANCELLOR ARNOLD M. EISEN, Israel remains the single greatest project of the Jewish people
Beyond Nostalgia: Looking Back at More Than 50 Years of USY
Former USY president DANNY SIEGEL wants the next generation to enjoy all the wonders that USY has to offer
Conservative Yeshiva Students, Fourth Graders Connect
NANCE MORRIS ADLER’S fourth-grade students in Seattle and adults studying online with the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem share insights on Hallel
God's Call, Our Silence: The Sustainable Synagogues Initiative
RABBI LAWRENCE TROSTER and REV. FLETCHER HARPER’s interfaith organization, GreenFaith, offer the Sustainable Synagogues Initiative
After the Storm
Hurricane Irene roughed up some of United Synagogue’s affiliated kehillot, but help was at hand