"Where do you belong? What communities are you a part of? How do you know that you really are a welcome member of any group, be it your family, your nation, your church or synagogue? Those questions are always relevant, but perhaps never as poignant as when a nation goes to war. As you look at the striking poster inscribed with the words, “United Behind the Service Star,” note that the organizations listed range from Jewish to Evangelical Christian to Catholic.

"...about 15 sixth graders darted around in groups of two or three, their heads bent over iPhones and iPads, shouting out things like, “I just found the foreman.

"The 2013 Games for Change Award nominees represent an extremely unique mix of games—from a game with no graphics at all to another that incorporates biofeedback from the player—on platforms from mobile to Facebook. Finalists reflect the increasing diversity of forms, audiences, and subject matter embraced by independent developers making games for change.

Clal Resident Tzemah Yoreh, Ph.D. has published another book in his Biblical Narrative (Kernel to Canon) Series. In Moses’ Mission he traces the development of his uniquely divergent account into the canonical text we have today. Yoreh tells us that "in this earliest version of (the) Exodus account ...

Father Dave talks to noted rabbi and radio show host Brad Hirschfield about faith-related topics like Pentecost, and also takes questions from the listeners about questions about the Jewish faith.

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Busted Halo, Sirius XM Radio 5/14/13

"It can be a shock to the system when you meet someone with a bold vision and the chutzpah to realize it. A couple of years ago, soon after he had been ordained, my classmate Rabbi Owen Gottlieb sat down with me to share his vision for Jewish education. In it, Hebrew School and other avenues of Jewish study could become places for joyful experiential learning. Young Jews around the world could engage their tradition through digital, paper-based, and self-created games.

Kanye West’s new album, available June 18, is expected to be called “Yeezus.” The title may be a riff on the artist’s nickname, “Yeezy”, but it is certainly a play on the name Jesus as well, and will certainly raise questions as a result. Is this title a tribute or a travesty?

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By Brad Hirschfield from The Washington Post

"What kind of hair do you have? Do you have long hair, short hair, or no hair at all? If you have hair, what color is it? Is it brown, blonde, white, black, green, red, purple, or something else? What style is your hair? Is it thin, thick, wavy, straight, or curly? Do you have dreadlocks, a mohawk, peyos? Do you show your hair or keep it covered? To what extent does your hairstyle demonstrate affiliation with a particular social/cultural group, or distinction from a group?

"The Jewish festival of Shavuot – the Feast of Weeks – celebrates the encounter between God and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. As described in the Biblical book of Exodus the newly freed children of Israel receive the Ten Commandments, establish a covenant with God, and become a holy nation – a distinctive, set apart people, committed to live as a model of justice and righteousness.

"Motherhood is a process of letting go. Our children start as part of us, but from the time they are born they begin to separate, becoming themselves at a rate that can feel agonizingly slow to a mother rocking a screaming baby, but that in retrospect goes far too quickly. For many women—though not all—motherhood feels like a biological imperative. It is wanted."