Yom Ha’Zikaron asks us to remember and honor those who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel. Yom Ha’atzmaut asks us to give thanks for the gift of Jewish sovereignty. These two days have always belonged together, and this year we mark them amidst ongoing war and uncertainty. At a moment like Continue Reading »
Reflections Following my Recent Visit to Israel March 2026 by Rabbi Emeritus Daniel G. Zemel A year ago at this time we were encouraging you all to vote for the ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America) delegation in the World Zionist Congress elections. In the spring we announced the results of the election which Continue Reading »
We are thrilled that Nava Tehila, the renowned Jerusalem-based Jewish prayer community and musical ensemble, will be coming to Temple Micah April 23-26, 2026 for a weekend of music and worship, with opportunities for the entire Micah community—from our youngest congregants to our oldest and everyone in between—to participate! Who is Nava Tehila? Based in Continue Reading »
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higi’anu la-z’man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this moment. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים Baruch atah Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Healy Slakman Adapted from a sermon given August 2025 It felt different in Israel this summer. Of course, in some ways it was obvious that it would. But it was my first time back since October 7th, and I didn’t know how it would sink in. Many important things were the same—my beautiful Continue Reading »
August 2025 Dear Friends, We are in agony as we continue to confront the staggering and relentless costs of war borne by the people of Israel and the people of Gaza. Last week, we marked Tisha B’Av – a day set aside to commemorate and reflect on the long history of destruction and trauma experienced Continue Reading »
We are Here May 22, 2025 Nora Feinstein Waking up To the news Once again But closer Hatred — The stuff of history books And museums And headlines Unfolding Here Once again Tell the Ancestors that This chain will be Unbroken Strong and Sacred, Miraculous and Enduring — This Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, As the festival of Passover begins tomorrow evening, I wanted to share with you all that Temple Micah has signed on to an amicus brief on behalf of Tufts University graduate student, Rümeysa Öztürk, a citizen of Turkey who was arrested by immigration officials two weeks ago. As you have all undoubtedly read Continue Reading »
January 21, 2025 Dear Friends, There are times when history seems to come at us in waves. On Sunday, we wept with joy as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher went from captivity to freedom. We watched families reunited. The words we teach, that saving a life is the equivalent of saving an entire Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel The approaching Days of Awe are like no others in my memory. The past year was without doubt the most challenging and painful year for world Jewry since World War II. I will not list here the travails that have befallen Israel since October 7. We all know they are Continue Reading »
A Letter from North American Jews to the Israeli Government Dear Friends, On behalf of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, I am inviting you to sign a letter from North American Jews to the Israeli Government: Make a Deal Now to Bring the Hostages Home, End the War. As Rabbi Jacobs, CEO of Continue Reading »
Dear Friends, I wanted to share with you this letter from T’ruah: Rabbis for Human Rights to President Biden about the current situation in Israel. I am honored to currently serve as chairman of the T’ruah Board of Directors. For more information on T’ruah, please see truah.org. Shalom, Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel March 2024 President Joe Biden The Continue Reading »
We would like to share the statement on Israel issued on December 14, 2023 by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. T’ruah is an inter-denominational Jewish organization that strives to bring the Torah’s ideals of human dignity, equality, and justice to life by empowering rabbis and cantors to be moral voices and to lead their communities in Continue Reading »
Friends, On Sunday, January 28, 2024, our special Ask-the-Rabbi session addressed Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza (you can watch the recording below). We received many questions in advance of the session, some of which were answered and some of which were not. In the spirit of transparency, and of our Roadmap which guides Continue Reading »
By David Gregory Throughout my career, as a journalist who also happens to be Jewish, I have faced occasional personal conflicts when covering issues related to Israel. Although I am not actively covering the painful events today, I recognize the unique emotion of this story for Jews who are. And as journalists, today we are Continue Reading »
Over the last more than twenty years, our Temple Micah Israel Fund has donated to a wide range of causes and organizations. These include support for the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, institutions devoted to shared society among Jews, Muslims, and Christians in Israel, and organizations that seek to mitigate the harmful effects of the Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Stephanie Crawley It is a lonely time to be a liberal Zionist in America. I know many of you feel abandoned: friends outside the Jewish community deciding they deserve an opinion on the fate of your people, wading into a conflict from the comfort of their living rooms. A broader Jewish community that Continue Reading »
July 2023 Dear Friends, Yesterday’s Knesset vote that strips the Israeli Judiciary of some of its authority to override extreme Knesset measures and to keep criminals out of office was a hard blow for those of us who love Israel. I was distraught until a dear friend reminded me that she had learned from a Continue Reading »
By Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel I am writing this letter on March 2. In six days, I will be leaving for Israel to lead our second Micah trip there in this Jewish year (5783). In all my years of traveling to Israel, I never have experienced the level of anxiety I feel today. I have Continue Reading »