The Origins of the LBGTQ+ Community at BJ: A Conversation
In the early 1990s, the word spread out that we were a congregation that was open to gays and lesbians. That people didn’t have to ...
Monthly Archives:June 2022
Our Response to the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
For us, today is a sad and infuriating day in America. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling on reproductive rights, ...
Toward Shabbat: Shelah Lekha
I celebrated becoming a Bat Mitzvah with a Minha service surrounded by family, friends, and a community of people, many of whom had known me ...
B-Mitzvah: A More Inclusive Term for a Jewish Rite of Passage
As members of a community whose core values are rooted in inclusivity, community, and growth, we are constantly looking to grow in ways that reflect ...
How Rainbow Bracelets Helped Me Find Community at Camp
As every camp enthusiast knows, a “camp wrist” is necessary for the summer. When I was at camp this past summer, I brought bracelet-making beads for ...
BJ Gets out the Vote
BJ is committed to ensuring that the right to vote—one of our most fundamental civil liberties—is accessible to all. This year is a major electoral ...
Toward Shabbat: Beha’alotekha
As I come to the end of my time as a MTM Rabbinic Fellow at BJ, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to be ...
Looking Back: How BJ Members Advocated for Marriage Equality in New York
When people ask me why I’ve spent so much time, effort, and energy working for LGBTQ+ equality, my typical answer is that I am a ...
Toward Shabbat: Naso
Some of the most vivid Jewish memories from my childhood took place in the social hall of Lower Merion Synagogue. Every week, after we sang the ...
Toward Shabbat: Bemidbar
The very first thing we learn about us humans in the opening chapter of Genesis is that every person is made in the image of ...