Rabbi Laurie Franklin

Mishpatim: Mishpatim in Montana

by Rabbi Laurie Franklin
Mishpatim teaches that formal justice must be free of influence from bribes or wealth status, and that even the stranger deserves protection. In my home state of Montana, regressive laws recently passed in our 2023 state legislature have revoked rights and freedoms from Montana residents under the guise of “protection” and “freedom of speech."
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Rabbi Judith Edelstein, D. Min.

Ki Tetze: We Cannot Look Away

by Rabbi Judith Edelstein, D. Min.
You may be familiar with the notion about the wounded healer, popularized by the author Henri Nouwen in his book by that name. He asserts: “When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed...
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A woman in kippah and blazer speaks into a megaphone with protest in background

Israel Resources for Clergy: High Holidays 5784

by Rabbi Judith Edelstein, D. Min.
Resources for Jewish clergy preparing to talk and teach about Israel on the High Holidays.
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A Hero of Biblical Proportions?

by Cantor Sara Geffen Geller
When someone like Kenneth Smith is praying even as he is lying on a bed of death, how can we pass by once we are made aware, awakened to God's presence there?
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Yitro: This and That, One Year Post-Inauguration

by Rabbi Jonathan Roos
One year later, we acknowledge that the day-to-day work of governing is unceremonious. Righting past wrongs is not a singular event but a process that requires constant attention, and the significance of this first year is unclear in the moment. Like the rabbinic connection of Shavuot to Matan Torah, it will be left to future generations to discern if this one-year mark warrants a celebration.
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One Year After the Hard-Hearted Insurrection of January 6, 2021

by Rabbi Hannah Spiro
The parshah is pushing us to learn from the insurrection – and not ever to forget it — in service of a larger goal. When major moments like this shock our systems, a part of us needs to embrace that shock and allow it to become constructive, something to propel us forward into courageous action.
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Reflecting pool at the 9/11 memorial in downtown Manhattan.

Reflections from Three Generations of T’ruah Leaders on the 20th Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks

by Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson
T’ruah’s growth over the last 20 years is intertwined with the events of September 11, 2001. We asked three writers who represent three “generations” of T’ruah leadership — Rabbi Gerry Serotta (founding), Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster (maturation), and rabbinical student Becky Jaye (future) — to reflect on the 20th anniversary of the attacks. As 9/11 recedes...
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Building a Temple of Democracy Together

by Amelia Wolf
"If we want our vaunted “Temple of Democracy” to contain actual holiness, it means we all must be able to build it up." A d'var Torah for Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei by Amelia Wolf.
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Purim Reminds Us Rights Shouldn’t Be Tied to the Whims of Rulers

by Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael
A D’var Torah for Purim by Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael As a Queer and Trans Jew, Purim has long held a special place in my heart as a holiday that envisions a world in which oppression can be turned upside down, in which coming out can be liberatory and world-changing, and miracles come to life through...
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The Spiritual Task of Our Time

by Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas
A D’var Torah for Parshat Beshalach by Rabbi Tova Leibovic-Douglas Someone asked me recently if I was a “Social Justice Rabbi.” I found the question odd, so I replied, “If you mean a rabbi that cares about everyone’s human rights and our world? Then yes, I am a Social Justice Rabbi.” And I continue to...
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