JEWISH LIFE

Social Action:
Haiti—Acts of God?
Was it God's will or human injustice that caused so many deaths in Haiti?
by Richard Jacobs

Judaica:
Jewish Antiques
Appraisal Show
"My father bought
this silver plate 35-40
years ago..."
appraisals by
Jonathan Greenstein


Online Exclusive
Discover the value of your antique Judaica. Contact Jonathan Greenstein at jgreensteinco@aol.com. You may see your story in a future RJ magazine.


Cooking: Barley—
The Original
Passover Offering
Recipes for Spring Barley Risotto with Asparagus and Lemon as well as Summer Barley Salad.
by Tina D. Wasserman

Online Exclusive
Watch writer
Tina Wasserman's
cooking demos.


Tribute: Musical Legend Debbie Friedman
3 Stories (see below)

Singing Our Souls
by Daniel Freelander

Secrets of a
Song Prophet
by Alane S. Katzew

And She Shall
Be a Blessing
by Melanie Goldish

Meet Our Temple:
Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf, Northridge, California (PDF)


Books: The Politics
of Memory
Reviews of In Ishmael's House: A History of Jews in Modern Lands, by Martin Gilbert; The Dove Flyer: A Novel , by Eli Amir; Jewish Living: A Guide to Contemporary Reform Practice, Rev. Ed. , by Mark Washofsky
by Bonny V. Fetterman


World Jewry:
Operation Suriname
"I was asked to
determine the eligibility of 16 young Jewish Surinamesse for the URJ's Birthright
Israel trip..."
by Hanan Cidor

Museum Watch:
The Art of Aging (PDF)
Leonard Meiselman's
Double Self-Portrait , 2003

Morality: Choosing to
Live, Choosing to Die
Do I agree with
Christopher Reeve,
who was busy until the
day he died, or with
Moti Gur, who
surrendered when he
could not defeat cancer?
by Jack Riemer

SPRING '11 COVER STORY
Finding the
Right Balance
Given our human tendency to engage in unhealthy practices, going from one extreme to another without fulfillment, how can we keep our lives in balance? An overview from Jewish tradition (Mencher) and three personal stories (Schnur, Hirt-Manheimer, Geller) offer some insights.
See below.

Everything in Moderation...Except Moderation 
by Edythe Mencher
The Jewish Rx for a healthy life is cultivating a middle path.

Productivity vs. Procreation 
by Juliana Schnur
How do I balance my work with what it takes to meet Mr. Right?

Self-Indulgence vs. Self-Denial 
by Aron Hirt-Manheimer
I have long made a virtue of doing for others. I resolved to put myself first for a change.

Not More Than My Place; Not Less Than My Space 
by Laura Geller
How do I balance the desire to be acknowledged while making space for others to shine?

FEATURE STORIES

 

Young Minds
by Jonathan Bleiberg, Sterling Dixon, Alex Garnick, Bari Gold, Rebecca Greenberg, Benjamin Lee, Max Lewis, Madeline Press, Samantha Shinder, Mariel Tivoli, Jacob Tommey, Jack Zucker
Twelve potential leaders of the Jewish community of the future share their personal perspectives on heroism, human flaws, God, social justice, technology and the Jewish community, and more—largely informed by the Reform Jewish day school experience.

Online Exclusive
Day school students throughout the world are encouraged to participate in Young Minds: a Jewish Day Schools Forum, sharing their perspectives on the editors' questions.


 

The Jaguar Whisperer
by Naomi Levy
Rabbi Isaac Luria said that every human soul is given a Divine mission to repair some aspect of this broken world. No other person can repair what each of us has been uniquely empowered to do. Meet Alan Rabinowitz, a renowned conservationist and wildlife explorer, whose severe childhood stutter kept him from speaking to people until age 19.


 

Catastrophe in Ukraine, Comedy Today
by Mel Gordon
How a 1661 decree by the Council of Jewish Elders in Vilna begat contemporary Jewish comedy.

FOCUS: ETHICS IN A FAST CHANGING WORLD

The Decade to Come
We're moving into personalized medicine, wearable cell phones, and a mind-machine interface to augment human memory.
a conversation with Jay Walker



Stem Cell Wonders
Embryonic stem cell research is uncovering secrets of how we age and how we heal.
a conversation between Krista Tippett and Dr. Doris Taylor

A Moral Guide to Medical Breakthroughs
How Jewish tradition views In Vitro Fertilization, stem cell research, genetic modifications, and extending the
human lifespan.
a conversation with Mark Washofsky

 Noteworthy
Reenvisioning our Movement through the Reform Think Tank, Catholic - Jewish dialogue through music, Jewish rock radio...



 What Works:
Ideas & Initiatives
A synagogue story
filmed for posterity;
a DVD legacy of love;
mitzvah quilts for Israeli
families affected
by terrorism.

 

 Happenings
For Adults & Youth
March 31 - July 10, 2011
 
 In Memory
Jerold (Jerry) M. Bass
1931 - 2010 

 In Memory
Rabbi Lawrence Jackofsky
1941 - 2010 

IN THE BEGINNING

Dear Reader:
New World Thinking
We Jews are not very 
receptive to revelations that contradict ingrained
self-images of victimhood.
by Eric H. Yoffie

Through the Lens (PDF)
The Classical and Romanesque sanctuary of Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco

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