Spring 2009
Columns
United Synagogue’s DR. RAYMOND B. GOLDSTEIN ponders Oranges on the Plate
For CORY R. SCHNEIDER of Women’s League, Connecting Makes a Difference
NORM KURTZ sees FJMC as Agents for Change
United Synagogue’s RABBI JEROME M. EPSTEIN wants to reinvigorate our synagogues by Bringing Back Our Most Committed Young People
ANN GOLDMAN of Women’s League invites us to Shabbat at My House
FJMC’s RABBI CHARLES E. SIMON considers Testing the Bonds of Religious Pluralism
Articles
Why I Am A Conservative Jew
DR. FRANCINE JACOBSON finds a spiritual and egalitarian home in Conservative JudaismFifteen Seconds
DAVID S. GREENFIELD’s beautiful photograph shows that in Israel pleasure and terror can be only 15 seconds apartThe Highest Example of Godliness
Koach’s Special Needs Trip to Israel
RABBI ELYSE WINICK describes the trip of a lifetime for 17 Jewish young adults with Asperger’s SyndromeThe Mystery of the Four Cups
DR. JOSHUA KULP solves the puzzle of why we drink four cups of wine at our sedersA Seder in Teheran
JOANNE PALMER interviews an American soldier who planned a remarkable seder for 150 servicemen in 1943Freedom Seder
A bedside seder puts freedom into perspective for DR. GERALD M. SIEGELWomen Speak: Mitzvah Doers With Heart And Soul
LISA KOGEN introduces the winners of the Women’s League Baalat Mitzvah awardsStories from Mumbai
LEILA BILICK and her husband spent a year living among, working with, and learning from the Jewish community of IndiaWomen's League Convention 2008
RHONDA JACOBS KAHN describes a convention filled with heart and soulThe World Zionist Congress: Transforming The Jewish People
According to RABBI ROBERT GOLUB, more than 100 years after the first Zionist Congress, Conservative Jews have a role to play as MERCAZ prepares for the next one
Same-Sex Ordination and Commitment
In December 2006, the Conservative movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards voted to allow gay men and lesbians to be ordained as rabbis and to allow rabbis to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies. Here, we look at how these decisions have affected people’s lives.
The Bookshelf
RABBI NEIL GILLMAN recommends books that enhance our understanding of sexuality in JudaismNo Closets, All Windows: Walking In The Light
RABBI WESLEY GARDENSWARTZ stresses how Jewishly necessary it is to welcome gay men and lesbiansSome Family Stories
DR. SUSAN E. HODGE writes about her straight son, her straight daughter, and her gay daughterKoach Sets the Bar High
REBECCA KIRZNER is glad to have found acceptance, as well as a leadership role, in one of the movement’s first organizations to reach out and accept queer-identified studentsGay and Ger - Hiding at the Seminary
As both a convert and a gay man, RABBI ANTONIO DIGESU decided that it was worth acquiring the rabbinical degree he so desired even if it meant staying in the closetJourneying in the Desert - Claiming Our Identities and Our Torah
The first openly gay rabbinical student at JTS, AARON WEININGER reflects on his experiencesAll is Created for His Glory
NOFRAT FRENKEL, an Israeli medical student who grew up in the Masorti movement, being a lesbian does not mean that she is any less committed to the mitzvotLiving in Two Worlds - Not Always a Choice
It is heartbreaking when a gay couple cannot receive the benefits of citizenship because one of them is not a citizen. RABBI GAIL DIAMOND and her partner made aliyah in order to take advantage of Israel’s liberal legal protections for gay couplesBuilding a More Inclusive Space
USY and United Synagogue had to figure out what the law committee teshuvot on gays meant for their chapters and synagogues, according to BONNIE RIVA RASOpening Doors
As a congregant who stakes her life on the sanctity of halachah, DR. ILANA GOLDHABER-GORDON believes that the law committee decision has opened the gates of righteousnessCloseted No More, or Why Jewish American Culture Really is Gay
You might not know it, but many of the classics of Jewish American culture grapple with decidedly queer issues, according to DR. WARREN HOFFMANHinenu - Responding To The Teshuvot
JOANNE PALMER considers how schools and synagogues are working to ensure safe, accepting, and sensitive environments
