Planting Two Trees: A Tale from the Field

Nathan Roller, a T’ruah Israel Fellow and student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, shares his experience planting two trees–one in the West Bank and one in Israel–as part of the T’ruah Year-in-Israel Program. Donate $36 or more to support this important tree-planting project in 2019.
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How Patience Destroys the Hope of Redemption

My step-daughter has a very distinctive sense of style, part Goth, part Emo, part anime, part steam-punk, part Asian, part her. She is also very petite, and finds it hard to find the clothes that she likes in her size. We recently realized that we can often find things that fit her if we order...
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When a Leader SIns

This Torah portion begins the book’s extensive treatment of the sacrificial system that was practiced in Israel for more than 1000 years. And it is now some 2000 years since we stopped offering sacrifices. In the interim we have developed a sense of distance from that ancient cultic practice. Nevertheless, it may still be possible...
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Who are YOU in the Passover story?

“…And you shall explain to your son on that day, “It is because of what Adonai did for me when I went free from Egypt…” (Exodus 13:8). From the midst of the original Exodus narrative, the text jumps suddenly forward in time, imagining you and me, future generations, retelling this sacred story in a very...
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Mikdash: A Jewish Guide to the New Sanctuary Movement

T’ruah’s complete Jewish guide to the New Sanctuary Movement is here in a revised and expanded edition! This resource includes: Background information on sanctuary and immigration, placing them in the larger context of white nationalism and America’s history with immigration Concrete steps to take An original essay grounding sanctuary work in Jewish tradition and text...
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A Prayer for Charlottesville, A Prayer for Our Country

We send love and blessing, prayers for peace and gentleness, courage and wisdom, to all who are gathered in Charlottesville this weekend. May hearts be turned to love and to the deep understanding that when we lift up and support one another, we all rise. May the vision of Isaiah be fulfilled: “They shall beat their swords...
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Simple Acts of Dignity and Loving-Kindness

“If we do nothing more than be aware of the essential elements of dignity in our everyday lives and practice honoring dignity, we will be making an enormous contribution to the healing of shared injuries.”¹ Through my work as a chaplain, I have developed a deep appreciation for the healing power of loving-kindness and the...
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The Mournfulness of Her Song: Hearing the Cries of the Enslaved

On my recent visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, I was moved to tears by one of the readings displayed in the darkened memorial room to those who were transported to America on slave ships from Africa. I learned that the chained slaves would sing songs of...
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The Miracle of Water

When we read parashat Beshalach, most of our attention falls on the big miracle, the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites celebrate with timbrel and dance, singing God’s praises for redeeming them from slavery. Given that, thousands of years later, we still commemorate this moment liturgically twice a day, one would think that the Israelites...
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The Sacred Task of Following Instructions

Let’s face it: change is usually slow. Confronting the institutional injustices we see at all levels of government and many parts of corporate America, it’s hard to know which of the two moves slower. As we persist, we need opportunities to renew our hope and inspire others to continue working to bring about desperately needed...
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