Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

New web host, new look! Bear with me while I set things up and make sure the content and links I had before are updated in the coming weeks.

Feminism

January 28, 2021

Remembering Debbie Friedman on Her 10th Yahrzeit

I gave this D'var Torah on Saturday morning, January 23, on the Shabbat before Debbie Friedman's 10th yahrzeit. On a Sunday night in early January 25 years ago, Laurie and I were living in Queens and there was a big Nor’easter brewing. Some of you may remember, it came all the way up here –… Continue reading

Education, Feminism, Holidays, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Music, Prayer, Soul, Spirituality, Study, Synagogue, Theology, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
December 29, 2020

Disrupting Texts is a Tradition — My Hosea Story

A Facebook post by a congregant highlighted a controversy around an initiative called #DisruptTexts, and my response to it was going to be much longer than a typical FB comment. #DisruptTexts as a specific project isn’t something I had heard of, but as I skimmed the website the other day it certainly doesn’t seem brand… Continue reading

Abuse, B’midbar, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Ethics, Feminism, Foregiveness, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Numbers, Parashat Hashavua, Prophets, Ritual, Study, Teacher-Student Relationship, Teens, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
June 2, 2020

Post 2 After George Floyd’s Killing

I tried to begin writing today not from anger but from reflection and even hope. Very hard to do right now. Anger comes more naturally. I write snide very well – you should see the first drafts, and there's a snider post to come. This is a preface to links below about a president with… Continue reading

Community Relations, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Election, Feminism, Freedom, High Holidays, History, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Rosh Hashanah, Teshuvah, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA
February 12, 2013

Rabbi David Hartman z”l

On Sunday, Am Yisrael lost a true a gadol, a great man and teacher: Rabbi David Hartman. Rabbi Hartman, originally from Canada, made his home in Jerusalem, and created the Shalom Hartman Institute. SHI is a modern Orthodox, progressive think tank that generates unbelievable work on moral and political thought, the meaning of Zionism, and… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Ethics, Feminism, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jewish Education, Study, Teacher-Student Relationship, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah
March 16, 2011

Terrific Purim Article

Dr. Michal Govrin is a writer and director, and lectures at the Schechter Institute, the Conservative movement's academic center in Jerusalem. She has a fascinating article called "Seriously Laughing to Death: Couples' Games and Masks in the Book of Esther" online at the Institute's website. It's kind of long, but worth it. Here's a taste:… Continue reading

Feminism, Holidays, Purim
January 24, 2011

Women in the Rabbinate — A Few Small Details

Last Shabbat we had an excellent talk at Beth Abraham about the role of women in the rabbinate, from Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein. The occasion was Sisterhood Shabbat. Margaret mentioned the program she attended in December with the four women who were the first female ordainees in the Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Orthodox movements. The… Continue reading

Conservative Judaism, Feminism
November 18, 2010

Parashat Vayishlach: A Midrash About Rachel

I wrote this midrash early in rabbinical school — it's somewhat rough and unpolished, but it has some interesting things in it and I've left it pretty much as it was. I was thinking about how we add the phrase "Elohay Rachel" (God of Rachel) to our prayers, yet we do not have as many… Continue reading

Feminism, Midrash, Parashat Hashavua, Spirituality, Vayishlach