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Ruthie Hollander
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Ruthie Hollander
The Blogs

Ruthie Hollander

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Aug 31, 2023, 11:51 PM
Where We Let God In
A child and parent face one another. Child made small by boughs of palm, willow, myrtle, several feet long; parent kneeling and directing the branches, hand wrapped around a smaller one wrapped around a fragrant pebbled fruit. Waving: north,...
Aug 17, 2023, 11:08 PM
The Scream & The Silence: Youth Engagement during the High Holidays
This time of year is marked by a frenetic gravity. Repetitive, a building crescendo of shofar blasts, voices caught on the words of selichot, fists pounding chests. A pulse intense and familiar, a High Holy Day rhythm. What can get...
Apr 5, 2023, 5:58 PM
Equitability & The Four Children
I think a lot about the four children every year. As someone who works in Jewish education, this text is extremely compelling to me. First we have the contrasts between the questions and answers given to the wise and the...
Mar 16, 2023, 4:29 AM
Vayakhel-Pekudei: Blueprints for Holy Work
What does it look like to commit to a project and see it through to completion? How can we create, lead, and complete in an ethical manner? Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei lays out a blueprint for the ways we must do our...
Jan 6, 2023, 6:21 AM
When the Pieces Fit
Looking back to the teenage years, it’s easy to remember the feelings of confusion and flux. Those years — which, from a developmental perspective, are critical to the formation of healthy identity — can be difficult.  My adolescent years were characterized...
Dec 8, 2022, 10:14 PM
Pivoting to Play: Religious School in 2022
A few years ago during the High Holiday season, I was teaching a class on teshuva (repentance) to a small class of fourth graders. My students were at least mildly interested and engaged with the concepts enthusiastically. Then one...
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About Me
Ruthie was born in Germany, grew up in Michigan, and has been in the NYC-tristate area for the last seven years. As the Director of the Orthodox Union's Executive Fellowship, Ruthie recruits and provides leadership training for young Jewish professionals interested in service and advocacy. She also works as the Youth Director of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, where she engages with children of all ages, developing and organizing thoughtful and innovative curricula and events. Ruthie lives on the Upper East Side with her husband Max (a semicha student at RIETS), their dog Momo (a high-strung pup), and their daughter Mila (a high-energy baby).