Exactly two weeks before a controversial last-minute presidential pardon made him a household name in the United States, Marc Rich was sitting in the VIP section at a mega-event for Birthright Israel in Jerusalem.
For those who look up to the American Jewish clergy, it has not been a good year. Last week, one of the Reform movement\’s most prominent rabbis was suspended from the movement\’s rabbinical association for past sexual misconduct.
With abundant commercials, carols and \”holiday specials\” crowding the airwaves and bright red and green decorations adorning most neighborhoods, American Jews can scarcely ignore Christmas.
In a speech that was the centerpiece of the North American Jewish federation system\’s gathering in Chicago this week, Israel\’s prime minister recalled being a small child when he heard of the United Nations\’ 1947 vote to partition Palestine.
Rabbi Alexander Schindler, the longtime leader of the Reform movement best known for his support of outreach to intermarried couples and recognition of patrilineal descent, has died at the age of 75.He died early Wednesday morning from heart failure at his home in Westport, Conn. As president of Reform Judaism\’s Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) from 1973 to 1996, Schindler – who viewed Judaism as a dynamic faith – championed a number of dramatic changes.
The umbrella organization for North American Jewish federations is now the seventh largest charitable organization in the United States, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
When word got out last week that Janet Engelhart had been named executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island – making her the only woman professional at the helm of one of the 40 largest federations – she received a flood of phone calls.
Most were colleagues and friends offering congratulations. But more than five – and the ones that Engelhart found most touching – were from young women professionals at Jewish organizations asking her to be their mentor.
Shirley Kotler of Los Angeles said her commitment to day schools stems from her interest in \”perpetuating Judaism.\”
Derided as too touchy-feely for some tastes, programs like \”spiritual journey\” are promoted by their advocates as a way to keep Jews interested and active in their synagogues.
When it\’s not summer, the congregation has twice as many people every Shabbat, forcing it to rent space at a nearby church and offer two separate Friday night services.