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Regional Spotlight

The New England Region   By Marty Paley The New England Region has been enjoying a very active year thus far. In addition to simply reveling in the camaraderie of our brothers and others in the Jewish community, we have continued to learn and grow together as we seek new experiences and deep connections. At …

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One humanity, equal dignity

The UN and FJMC Against Racial Discrimination   By Dr. Steven Mandel A Black Jewish man arrives at his synagogue for Shabbat service, and is stopped by security volunteer, who asks: “Are you here for services?” When he says yes, the volunteer asks for identification, while other congregants enter without being questioned. An interracial couple …

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Music to Your Ears

A High Holiday Journey   By Jason Hecht As we enter the season of reflection, renewal and heartfelt connection, music becomes one of the most powerful ways to prepare our spirit. This year, we’re taking you on a High Holiday tour through Israeli music videos – a journey filled with soul, prayer and the unmistakable …

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In The Spirit

Domaine du Castel Grand Vin   By Al Davis As previously admitted to, I am not a wine afficionado. My wine tastebuds are perfectly suited to “Blue Bottle.” For the uninitiated, this is Bartenura Moscato, a white fizzy wine, which my father-in-law (alav ha-shalom) referred to as “Seven-Up” – usually with a sneer. If I …

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On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, what have I done?

A retrospective   By Rabbi Noam Raucher One day, shortly after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai and his student, Rabbi Yehoshua, were walking near the ruins. Seeing what remained of the Temple, Rabbi Yehoshua cried out, “This is terrible! This is where our people came to pray and offer …

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rabbi noam raucher

What Kind of Man Will I Have Been?

Being honest with ourselves   By Rabbi Noam Raucher Rosh Hashanah is described as the Jewish new year. Yom Kippur is usually explained as a day of repentance. However, ultimately, between both of them we have 10 days to gain perspective on our lives. For 25 hours, Jewish tradition asks us to step outside the …

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Hineni

Reflections on past, present and future  “There is no life without a task; no person without a talent; no place without a fragment of God’s light waiting to be discovered and redeemed; no situation without its possibility of sanctification; no moment without its call. It may take a lifetime to learn how to find these …

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Pro-Semitism

Emma Lazarus   By Jerry Brodsky You’ve heard the words –   “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”   For many of us, our great-great-grandparents or some level of elders on our family tree passed by those words, found on the base of the Statue of Liberty, as …

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Being ProSemitic: Ice Cream

I scream. You scream. We all scream for… Everyone likes ice cream, right? Well, what do you think the following brands have in common? Ben and Jerry’s, Baskin-Robbins, Häagen-Dazs, and (non-dairy) Tofutti. Yes, they were all developed, founded or co-founded by Jewish entrepreneurs. Here’s the SCOOP:1. Interestingly enough, Häagen-Dazs was created in 1959 by Reuben …

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Shalom Brothers: The Undivided Man (Ki Tavo)

Rabbi Noam Raucher, MA.Ed – Executive Director, FJMC International One of the easiest things in life is to know what kind of person you want to be. One of the hardest is to become that person. Most of us have little trouble naming our values. We believe in honesty, loyalty, generosity, fairness and compassion. We want to …

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