I hope that this Adon Olam, composed by Cantor Pinchas Minkowsky (1859-1924) of the Brodsky Synagogue in Odessa inspires your prayers and actions for peace in Ukraine. Praying for the safety of the Ukrainian people and wishing you a Shabbat Shalom.

Global bee populations continue to be threatened by poor farming practices, pollution, and urban sprawl. Yet, in the middle of Israel’s arid Arava region, bee colonies are coming back to life thanks to a perfect mix of clean air and plentiful fields of pollinator friendly crops. Because of Jewish Na

The Festival of Lights calls us to light a candle, banish the darkness, say a blessing, and enjoy the miracle of light. While this song was written for the Eurovision Song Contest, not for Hanukkah, I couldn’t resist its imagery of fighting hopelessness by creating light together. And, it was origin

Thank you Ray Chew and Vivian Chew for joining us for Shabbat last Friday and closing our service with these poignant words and music, helping us understand how our brothers and sisters from the African American community feel. May we all be a bridge over troubled waters.

In these troubling times we look to that which we share with other ancient traditions to remind us that we have the strength within us to navigate our fears. With the holidays behind us, we may feel excitement about the start of a new year, but also fear of the unknown it brings. “May we not pray to

Based on La La Land's "Another Day of Sun" Original music by Justin Hurwitz; Original lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Adapted "La La Passover" lyrics written by Y-Studs A Cappella Arranged by Rob Dietz Lead vocals performed by Jonathan Green, Ari Mandelbaum, Michael Lefkovits, and Nathaniel Rib...

The latest film from a production company behind a string of low-budget horror hits centers on a terrifying night spent carrying out an important Jewish burial ritual. “The Vigil,” out in the United States in August, is about a formerly observant Jew who is recruited to stand guard over the body of

A new day, new battles. Actually, one battle that assumes different forms: I Want vs. I Should. The day’s first battlefield is your bed, and the first shot is fired when the alarm clock rings. I Want reaches out to hit the snooze button; I Should is ready to jump out of bed and take on another day.

“Leona,” a marvelous new drama from the young Mexican-Jewish director Isaac Cherem, opens with a mikvah scene unlike any in cinema. A beautiful woman is tastefully photographed in the nude through gauzy, billowing curtains, surrounded by enormous planters of budding white flowers. She is cheered by

From their origins in Frankfurt’s Jewish ghetto, the Rothschilds became the most powerful banking family of the 19th century.From their origins in Frankfurt’s Jewish ghetto, the Rothschilds became the most powerful banking family of the 19th century. Four generations of the Rothschild family have si