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Who would have thought? Who would have thought that four modest grants made 12-plus years ago would not only strengthen the capacity of Israelis to respond in the aftermath of terror, but would also be an example of the best in Israeli-diaspora collaboration, and emerge as a globally recognized leader in treating psychological trauma for people of every background. Really,…►

Resilience — the ability to adapt after tragic, even catastrophic events — is one of the great mysteries of human life. From where do some draw these wells of strength? How are some people able to endure the unthinkable and somehow emerge, move forward, and even inspire? I thought of this twice on Monday, first walking along the hurricane-battered beaches…►

Dear Friends: For more than 20 years, UJA-Federation of New York has been my professional home. Since 1999, I have served as executive vice president and CEO and have been blessed with the opportunity to have a job that has enabled me to bring together three of my lifelong passions: my conviction that Judaism enhances life; my commitment to care…►

I write from Jerusalem where 200 New Yorkers are experiencing Israel’s 65th Independence Day, Yom HaAtzma’ut, on the William Rosenwald Mission. Yesterday, we marked Yom HaZikaron, the day in which Israel literally stops — and goes silent — to remember the thousands who lost their lives defending Israel. We felt the intense pain of almost every Israeli we encountered who…►

Imagine turning 5 years old again. Make a wish, blow out the candles, cut the cake — it was a bit simpler back then, yes? Turning 65, on the other hand, is more complicated for both individuals and nations. There is gratitude for dear family members and friends who have stood by us, pride in accomplishment and hard-earned wisdom. But…►

This evening, at seders that will take place in every corner of the world, young children will chant the Four Questions: “Why is this night different?” Holding up the shank bone, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs, we will then tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt yet again. We will do so because we are commanded to…►

“The Torah is not the property of one movement or another. It is a gift that every one of us received, and we have all been granted the opportunity to meditate upon it as we create the realities of our lives. Nobody took the Talmud and rabbinic literature from us. We gave it away, with our own hands, when it…►

If a picture is more powerful than words, I should stop writing right now. But there’s a story here, maybe even two, that calls for an explanation. A few years ago, I was invited to a breakfast hosted by then-new-to-New-York Archbishop Timothy Dolan (he was not yet Cardinal), so he could meet a range of local leaders. Following the wonderful…►

Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for articulating with soaring words a dream, a vision of a world where the color of our skin no longer defines us. But while his rhetoric inspires, it was what Dr. King did day in and day out that elicited real change. As we approach Martin Luther King Day, it’s interesting that, in stark…►