From the Desk of John S. Ruskay
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Master Teacher Becomes a Student Again
May 4, 2012
By John S. Ruskay Even the best teachers need time to become students again. Rabbi Michael Paley, UJA-Federation’s Pearl and Ira Meyer scholar-in-residence — and one of the best teachers with whom many of us have been privileged to study &mdas… Read more
Experiencing the Blessings of Israel
April 27, 2012
By John S. Ruskay Given the opportunity, there is nothing like being in Israel this week. On Yom HaZikaron, to hear the siren call people to silence. To witness as they stop, wherever they are, and stand with solemn intensity in honor of the 22,993 who ha… Read more
Listening to Holocaust Survivors
April 20, 2012
Dear Colleagues: We come together each year on Yom HaShoah to remember and renew our conviction to bring light into a world that has survived unthinkable darkness. This year’s UJA-Federation staff event took the remembering to a place at once deeply… Read more
Making Words Real About Hunger
April 12, 2012
Dear Colleagues: While our seders are behind us, major themes have lingered in my consciousness. This week, I keep returning to the moment when we lift the matzah and invite all who are hungry to join us, saying, “This is the bread of affliction. Le… Read more
Why Passover is So Different
April 4, 2012
Dear Colleagues: After an exhausting day preparing our home for Passover, I found myself late Sunday evening going through boxes. Instead of dishes, these boxes were filled with readings, poems, and articles saved from seders past. Adorned with handwritte… Read more
Israeli Hummus Wins in Brooklyn
March 30, 2012
Dear Colleagues: Something important took place in Brooklyn this week. On Tuesday night, the Park Slope Food Coop, the largest urban food cooperative in the United States, overwhelmingly rejected a motion to boycott Israeli-made products. As widely report… Read more
A Long Love Affair With Israel
March 9, 2012
Dear Colleagues: After a week quite properly dominated by the Aipac Conference and intense focus on how to respond to the threat of a nuclear Iran, I’d like to share a personal story from my recent trip to Israel. I was davening at a Jerusalem minya… Read more
Working to Realize the Dream of Israel
March 2, 2012
Dear Colleagues: Four days in Israel reminded me of the intense challenges facing the Jewish State, both external and internal. At times the internal issues appear the most painful and insurmountable. We talk about creating big tents, spaces where differe… Read more
Opening Hearts About People With Disabilities
February 17, 2012
Dear Colleagues: “What’s your favorite movie?” I am told that’s a frequent icebreaker because movies are such equalizers. We’ve all been to the movies; we’ve all been powerfully moved by movies. Movies often introduce u… Read more
Seeing the Promise to Ethiopian Jews Fulfilled
February 3, 2012
Dear Colleagues: This week, I accompanied 82 Falas Mora as they made their journey from Ethiopia home to Israel — bearing witness to the fulfillment of a promise made long ago. I was joined by 19 of our leaders, including UJA-Federation board chair … Read more