“Winning” An Unfair Game

I’ve been thrilled (and surprised!) at how many people have signed up for Moneyball Judaism since September. Writing this newsletter is one of my favorite things to do each week.

Today, I published a love letter in eJewishPhilanthropy to all of the Jewish organizations who want to thrive in a world that is not always fair, and why Moneyball remains my inspiration for them and for me. You can read the article by clicking on this link.

The Transformative Torah of “Ordinary People”

Everything I learned about working with teens I first learned from Ordinary People. As USY completes a summer with teens traveling across North America, Europe, and Israel, I decided to rewatch Ordinary People for the hundredth time and go back into the literary and cinematic world that made me want to work with Jewish teenagers. Read my latest article in eJewishPhilanthropy here.

Clergy Guide on Domestic Abuse

A report from The Council on Foreign Relations states “rising numbers of sick people, growing unemployment, increased anxiety and financial stress, and a scarcity of community resources have set the stage for an exacerbated domestic violence crisis around the world.” While the COVID-19 pandemic leads to many explicit crises, sometimes the biggest crises are the silent ones.

This past year, I was honored to edit a new edition of a Jewish Women International’s Clergy Guide on Domestic Abuse in my capacity as a member of their Clergy Task Force on Domestic Abuse. I’m so proud that our team just published the new edition in both web-based and PDF form. Please read, share, and inform.

The Problem of Racism Lies With Me

I am a somewhat regular contributor to eJewishPhilanthropy, and wanted for some time to write a piece on racism and white privilege. And yet I struggled for months to write a piece I felt comfortable with because of one roadblock: my own racism.

Today, eJP published an article about my struggle to do teshuvah and recognize that I am both “the problem” and part of “the solution” to systemic racism. You can read the article by clicking on this link.

USY’s Epic Summer Pivot

A few weeks ago, USY cancelled our summer programs.  And yet one of the most important things people can do in times of acute stress is express hakarat ha-tov, gratitude, and these days I find myself with an abundance of gratitude.

Last week, eJewishPhilanthropy published my article about myUSYfi Summer, USY’s completely digital operation for summer 2020, and what it portends for the future of teen engagement.  You can read the article by clicking on this link.