Barry Shrage

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Jul 31, 2024, 7:42 AM

Restoring Jewish Dignity and Pride: A Zionist Awakening for American Jews

“Those who demonize us under the cloak of anti-Zionism forced us into our activism and …to publicly defend our Jewish identities. We proudly believe in the Jewish People’s right to self-determination in our historic homeland as a fundamental tenet...

Jan 30, 2024, 8:03 AM

Restoring the “Genius of Israel” and the Dignity of American Jews: A Common Struggle For the Jewish Future

On October 7th, we knew that everything had changed. For Israelis and for American Jews . There was no going back. No turning away from the horror and the implications for Israel, for our own future and the future...

Jun 26, 2023, 10:45 AM

American Jewry at a moment of Israeli political and social crisis: Choosing action over despair

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik said, “Man’s task in the world, according to Judaism, is to transform fate into destiny; a passive existence into an active existence; an existence of compulsion, perplexity and muteness into an existence replete with a...

Sep 19, 2021, 1:38 PM

The Abraham Accords and the New Israeli Government: Abraham’s Promise of Reconciliation and Peace Becomes Real

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah the liturgy includes the story of the expulsion of Abraham’s son Ishmael, father of the Arab nation and Hagar his mother perhaps foreshadowing an eternal battle between Arabs and Jews. “Sarah said to...

Mar 22, 2021, 5:09 AM

Particularly Universal: Passover’s Message of Liberation & Belonging

“Without memory, there is no identity, and without identity we are cast adrift into a sea of chance, without a compass, map or destination.” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks from The Home We Build Together We are about to return to our Seder...

Feb 18, 2021, 11:01 AM

The Essential Bond: Jewish Identity and Israel

Some might imagine faith to mean an inner transformation; a leap into God. Judaism, however, does not begin with a leap of faith, nor even with a leap of commitment to mitzvah. Rather than with a spiritual transformation of personal identity,...

Feb 16, 2021, 7:31 AM

Data is not destiny

Assimilation numbers alone can not determine our course toward building lives of meaning, purpose and community for the next generation of Jews

Feb 8, 2021, 8:30 AM

Sheldon Adelson: A Life of Profound Purpose and Accomplishment

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position...

Jan 27, 2021, 10:47 AM

Bridging and Bonding: Jewish Institutions Address the Crisis of American Social Capital

Many argue that Jewish organizations of every kind are being abandoned, especially by the next generation, who are turned off by the “institutionalized” Jewish life of their parents. Accordingly, many funders now direct their funds away from traditional institutions...

Nov 25, 2020, 11:39 PM

Jewish Community Service and Leadership: A Tribute to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

“What is Judaism? A religion? A faith? A way of life? A set of beliefs? A collection of commands? A culture? A civilization? It is all these, but it is emphatically something more. It is a way of thinking, a...

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About Me

Barry Shrage served as President of CJP- Greater Boston’s Jewish Federation from 1987 to 2017. He is now Professor of the Practice in the Hornstein Program and the Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. Throughout his 50 year career Barry focused on strengthening Jewish identity and engaging future generations through Jewish education, deepening connections between American Jews and Israel and her people and developing strong communities that care for the most vulnerable in society. All views expressed are Barry’s own and not necessarily those of Brandeis University

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