Karolyn Benger

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Jun 20, 2025, 10:48 AM

The Music Still Plays: Israel in a Time of War

My family and I are in Israel — visiting loved ones, touring universities, reconnecting with the land that has shaped so much of our identity. We didn’t plan to be here during this war. Then again, I suppose the...

Jul 24, 2024, 11:33 PM

Moral Certainty in an Immoral World

I used to struggle with the story of Pinchas but have come to admire him for his unwavering confidence in the righteousness of his actions and his unquestioning dedication to them. The clarity of knowing what is right and...

Nov 19, 2023, 7:56 PM

A Cry For Moral Clarity

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 18: Protesters hold a demonstration in support of a cease fire in Gaza in the Cannon House Office Building on October 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. Members of the Jewish Voice for Peace and the IfNotNow movement staged a rally to call for a cease fire in the Israel–Hamas war. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

I am deeply despondant and don't understand the world today. I don't understand my people. I am hearing about Jews protesting against Israel. Demanding a cease fire for the sake of peace without any acknowledgement of the hostages or condition...

Jul 20, 2023, 7:36 AM

Devarim: The Beauty of Transformation by Karolyn Benger

As a young girl, I was always saddened when reading parshat Devarim. In my eyes, it never seemed fair that Moshe was not allowed to enter the Land of Israel. After so much devotion to Hashem, leading the people...

Jul 28, 2022, 6:42 AM

Are we doing enough?

Recently, I purchased flashcards of the most common Hebrew words in the Torah to help support the ongoing Torah study taking place in our home. As I flipped through them, I quickly realized they didn’t include a single photo...

Oct 28, 2018, 9:42 PM

We are all Jews

Friday afternoon, before I took in Shabbat, I engaged in a discussion with a vocal critic of the Women of the Wall movement. I challenged her statements that they are creating a disturbance at the Kotel, that they are...

Sep 18, 2018, 2:29 AM

From the Depths We Cry: The #MeToo is a Revolution

How do you tell a story that has never been told? How do you speak the unspeakable? As more and more stories of the #MeToo movement pour out I watch as we attempt to come to grips with something we...

Jul 5, 2017, 11:20 PM

Beyond the Mehitza: A Response to Yisroel Besser

In Yisroel Besser’s “In Her Place,” he claims to be ad shetagi’a l’mekoma, in the place of a woman. For one evening, Mr. Besser sat behind a mehitza, was treated as an afterthought, felt uncomfortable and states he is now...

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About Me

Karolyn Benger is a Rabbinical student at Yeshivah Maharat (2026) and former Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Phoenix. Karolyn has taught Middle East Politics at Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Emerson College. She was a board member of the Arizona Interfaith Movement, a member of the Valley Interfaith Project’s 3rd Monseigneur Ryle Public Policy Faith Leader Institute, and a mentor in the Women’s Leadership Institute. She has served on the Human Relations Commission for the city of Phoenix and Arizona Jewish Life magazine named her among the Top 10 change makers for Tikkun Olam. Her writings can be found in the Arizona Republic, eJewish Philanthropy, Blue Avocado, The Times of Israel, and Ritualwell.

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