inclusion

Parashat Emor: On Bodies, Leadership, and the Public Sphere

Posted on May 30, 2016May 20, 2016 by Lauren Tuchman

Parashat Emor opens with a description of right priestly conduct. In Leviticus 21:17-23, we find a lengthy list of those Kohenim who have a mum—often translated as blemish which disqualifies them fr... Read More

Inclusion in the Orthodox Jewish Community

Posted on June 22, 2015June 21, 2015 by Eli Lieberman

This article is adapted from the thesis I wrote for my Master’s in Religious Studies from NYU, dealing with how to more fully include gay and lesbian Orthodox Jewish people into Orthodox congreg... Read More

Disability and God Talk

Posted on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 by Lauren Tuchman

An earlier version of this piece was published here. I am passionate about creating truly inclusive and accessible Jewish communities in which all Jews can find a spiritual home, and in which we can a... Read More

Intergenerational Interfaith

Posted on September 30, 2014September 29, 2014 by Ellie Anders

Last month I attended the North Atlantic Interfaith Network (NAIN) Connect in Detroit, Michigan. The history of interfaith cooperation was incredible in that city. I was amazed at the established inte... Read More

On Bringing Sacred Gifts and Our Sacred Selves

Posted on February 26, 2014February 25, 2014 by Lauren Tuchman

Last week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel, opens with Moses’ gathering the entirety of the Jewish people together. After reiterating the singular importance of Shabbat observance, specifically focusing ... Read More

Hearing Our Song at the Sea: A Dvar Torah on B’Shalach (Ex. 13:17-17:16)

Posted on January 14, 2014January 17, 2014 by Sarah Fein

This past week’s parsha (Torah portion), “B’Shalach” (Exodus 13:17-17:16), is a rich and event-filled text. We witness the physical and spiritual movement of the Israelites out of slavery and ... Read More

Towards Acceptance, Holiness and Removing Stumbling Blocks

Posted on April 15, 2013April 15, 2013 by Lauren Tuchman

This week, we are once again reading Parashat Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1-20:27). Biblical scholars commonly refer to these two chapters of Leviticus as the holiness code due to the numerous interpersona... Read More

Making Room for People With Disabilities

Posted on July 1, 2012July 1, 2012 by Patrick Brown

Here in Illinois, Governor Quinn has been pushing hard to close state institutions for people with developmental disabilities, along with some prisons and state mental hospitals. There are a handful o... Read More

Jewish Disability Awareness Month

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Lauren Tuchman

This February marks the fourth annual Jewish Disability Awareness Month, a time when special attention and emphasis is brought to the needs and experiences of people with disabilities in our communiti... Read More

Making Buddhism Accessible to Working-class People

Posted on August 15, 2011August 14, 2011 by Joshua Eaton

On 18 July 2011, Sam Mowe wrote about diversity within American Buddhism for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review‘s blog in an article titled “Tell Us Your Story.” One of the comments to that post ... Read More