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Lauren Gladstone

Aug 14, 2026, 8:21 AM

Can You Belong to a Place You’ve Never Lived?

Above the orignal entrance to "De Dierense Shul". Photo taken by the author

I have never prayed in the synagogue in Dieren, the Netherlands. I don't know the rabbi. I've never attended a Shabbat service there or celebrated a holiday with its congregation. I don't receive its emails or know the people...

Elisheva Thompson

Aug 14, 2026, 12:45 AM

Your Synagogue Has a Knowledge Problem

The most valuable information in your organization may be the information no one can find. Ask a synagogue employee where to find the most important information about a program, a vendor, a recurring event, a donor, or a longstanding congregational...

Aug 13, 2026, 11:34 PM

Is Your Soul on Do Not Disturb Mode?

A few weeks ago, millions of phones across Australia suddenly began screaming. It was not a cyberattack, nor was it a malfunction. Australia was testing a new national emergency warning system called AusAlert. For about ten seconds, phones across the...

Elchanan Poupko

Aug 10, 2026, 8:09 AM

The Forgotten Builders of American Jewry

In March of 2023, I gave my last sermon from the podium at Park East Synagogue after serving as the interim assistant rabbi. The sermon I gave highlighted the pivotal role Rabbi Bernard Drachman, the founding rabbi of the...

Isaac Steven Herschkopf

Aug 3, 2026, 12:24 PM

Returning to Paradise: Churches & Shuls

"When you can't find your way home." - Don't Dilly-Dally on the Way, Charles Collins (1919) Every summer, when New York City closes one avenue to traffic, I make my Hegira back to Washington Heights where I was raised. 50,000 steps,...

Michael Bresler

Aug 2, 2026, 4:52 AM

The Resource Every Jewish Organization Is Running Out Of

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of spending time with leaders from Jewish day schools, synagogues, foundations, nonprofits, and businesses. On the surface, they couldn’t be more different. They serve different communities, face different challenges, and measure...

Jul 31, 2026, 8:39 PM

The Drone That Was Certain

Every military in the world is now confronting a frightening new reality. A weapon no longer needs to cost millions of dollars to cause enormous damage. A relatively inexpensive drone can fly hundreds of miles, carry an explosive payload, and...

Isaac Steven Herschkopf

Jul 31, 2026, 4:09 AM

Give You A Lift? : My Hagba Humiliation

"Art is born of humiliation." World Within World, W.H. Auden (1951) Age 17, I moved from Washington Heights in Manhattan to Kew Gardens, Queens. It was an entirely new world in many ways, including my synagogue. Although located in "Frankfurt on the...

Jul 26, 2026, 2:34 PM

A Tribe Is a Home. Tribalism Needs an Enemy.

Deciding who you are is hard work. Deciding who you're not is easy, and that ease is exactly the trap. We may not always know what we believe, or what kind of future we're building. But we know, with total...

Jul 21, 2026, 6:56 AM

The Courtyard Stands Open: Why Jews Must Teach the Nations Now

In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a vast Court of the Gentiles welcomed those drawn from the nations. This outer courtyard formed part of Hashem's design. Sincere seekers could bring offerings to any Israelite citizen standing...

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