Blog

The Taste of Freedom

What do you get when you combine over 100 people representing 25 faith communities, 10 rabbis, and a bunch of matzoh and haroseth? This isn't a setup for a joke; it's a description of our upcoming Third Annual Cathrine Fischer Schwartz Interfaith Seder, which will take place this Sunday after…

Is It Time to Make a Different Kind of Noise?

Saturday night is a special night: Purim. Some of us will dress up in costumes. Some of us will be preparing hamantashen, and others will be preparing for an old Jewish tradition of supplementing the Megillah reading with schnapps. But all of us who attend a Megillah reading will be equipped…

Security: What Federation Is Doing and How You Can Help

Dear friends,
 
As you know, the past few months have seen an uptick in anti-Semitic incidents across the nation - including bomb threats right here in Greater Hartford. Our Federation's mission is to protect and enhance the well-being of Jews locally, in Israel and around the world. As suc…

Creating Your Own Sanctuary

"And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them." 
(Exodus 25:8)

It was the summer of my 14th year when Camp Ramah in the Berkshires opened and I had the privilege of being one of the first campers to experience this magical place. I was a city kid who had never spent much ti…

A Closet of Compassion

Why do we care? Why should we care? This week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, warns all of us, "You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me." Our sages explained that G-d watches out for the widow, the orphan, and t…