"The public discourse about Jewish education reform has given birth to many innovative and often highly creative solutions to the Hebrew afternoon school of the twenty first century. We have been rewriting curriculum, revising textbooks, and restructuring the very foundation of synagogue learning. However, the Jewish community of educators and administrators have paid little attention to the heart and soul of good teaching: the teacher!..."

January 13-16th (MLK Day Weekend)at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonskon, NY, join hundreds of learner-teachers at Limmud NY 2012. With the help of Shoshana Jedwab and others, The Kirtan Rabbi, also known as Reb Drew and Clal Resident, will be offering: a Liberal Kabbalat Shabbat service; meditation infused text study; Jewish Tai Chi; Kiddie Kirtan; and — of course — a full-on, rocking Hebrew Kirtan.

"Not a month goes by without a young person just out of the closet — or sometimes that person’s shocked parents — contacting me in search of Orthodox leaders to respond credibly to their questions. It was this reality that was on my mind as I confronted the backlash to a same-sex commitment ceremony I performed last November. In response, 100 rabbis signed a statement censuring me.

Recognized as one of American’s top 50 female rabbis by the Forward, Laura Baum is a transformative figure in contemporary Jewish life. This year OurJewishCommmunity.org, the online congregation Rabbi Baum helped create, was named by Slingshot as one of North America’s 50 most innovative and inspiring programs.

In recognition of his notable national and international work on Jewish law, Clal Director Rabbi Tsvi Blanchard, Ph.D., was named Scholar-in-Residence at Fordham University’s Institute for Religion, Law & Lawyer’s Work. The position is ongoing, and will include participating on special projects, teaching a Talmud seminar, and appearing at worldwide conferences. This is the first time such a position has been named. Since 2007, Rabbi Blanchard has been an adjunct professor at Fordham University’s School of Law.

Saturday, December 10, 2011, from 8pm to 10pm — Bring your voices, open hearts and dancing socks to a fun-soaked evening of singing, movement and community to Integral Yoga Institute of New York for a release party for the Kirtan Rabbi’s latest CD.
Click here to pre-register or call (212)929-0586.

Founded in 1856, St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, is one of the most prestigious college prep schools in U. S. Affiliated with the Episcopal Church, its motto is, “Freedom with Responsibility, and is described as a place “for humane but rigorous education.”

Against this backdrop, Rabbi Irwin Kula was invited to address the faculty and entire student body on how the changing landscape of religion and spirituality in America will affect these future leaders of our nation and the world.

Rabbi Jason Miller has been invited to teach in the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, Michigan (http://www.oakland.edu/medicine).

"When [Gustav] Niebuhr asked [Brad] Hirschfield what the appropriate speech to use when talking about religion and politics is, Hirschfield gave several pointers on what he felt would be appropriate. ‘You have to have a huge dose of humility when talking about these issues,’ Hirschfield said. ‘The promise that one system has all the answers is a deal breaker for me.’ Hirschfield also stressed bringing transparency and self-awareness with any animated belief.

"Honorary doctorates were awarded to 41 rabbis—all members of the Rabbinical Assembly who have served the Jewish community with distinction for 25 years or more—by The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) at a convocation on Tuesday, November 1. Through the degrees, JTS celebrated the achievements of these spiritual leaders and voiced appreciation for their manifold contributions to Jewish life....."