Earlier this week I sat down with one of our beloved Israel educators, Yishay Shavit. Yishay used some of his time during the pandemic – and shut-down of Israel’s tourist industry – to co-edit a fascinating collection of pieces by his guide colleagues, titled Heartbeats: The Insider’s Guide to Israel.  We had a great conversation about the publishing process, the stories in the book, and about some of … Continue reading Telling the True Story of a Place »

ADL and JCRC Welcome Passage of Genocide Education Legislation Contacts: Shellie Burgman (617)-406-6338 Shira Burns (617)-457-8673 November 16, 2021 (Boston, MA):  ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC) welcome the passage by the House of Representatives today of S.2557, An Act concerning genocide education. When signed into law, Massachusetts will become the 20th state to have … Continue reading ADL and JCRC Welcome Passage of Genocide Education Legislation »

Dear Friends, Earlier this week I had the privilege to sit down with Congressman Jake Auchincloss for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation. We talked about Build Back Better, human services and infrastructure; rising antisemitism and the security needs of our institutions; the U.S. role in building on the success of the Abraham Accords, his efforts to strengthen economic and research partnerships between Israel and the … Continue reading My Conversation with Rep. Auchincloss »

Malden Mayor Gary Christiansen, Izzy Arbeiter z”l, Former Consul General of Germany to New England Dr. Ralf Horlemann, Malden High School Students Our community lost a giant last week. Izzy Arbeiter z”l, 96, was the survivor of several concentration camps, including Auschwitz. Attending his funeral and shiva this week has been a blessing in itself; to witness the outpouring of memories, to retell the impact … Continue reading Remembering Izzy Arbeiter »

It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I’m reading. I’m still on pace for my annual goal of 100 books each year. These are the books that are bringing me pleasure as a reader and challenging me in my perceptions, right now, and I’m excited to share them with you.  People Love Dead Jews, by Dara Horn  Dara Horn writes amazing novels, deeply rooted … Continue reading What’s on my nightstand »

Statement from Jewish Community Relations Councils on Congressional Funding of the Iron Dome Missile Defense System September 23, 2021 As Jewish Community Relations Councils deeply committed to a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we thank the 420 Members of Congress who voted to fully fund the replenishment of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. This overwhelming bipartisan vote demonstrates the commitment of the United States … Continue reading Statement from JCRCs on Congressional Funding of the Iron Dome Missile Defense System »

Our work includes priorities that we work on for months and even years at a time. We don’t let go of these concerns and we never lose our focus on them, even as we work on several things at any one time. Then there are days when something in the news reminds us why we cannot and do not lose our focus. And sometimes, there … Continue reading When “Holocaust” was trending on social media this week »

ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston (JCRC) are pleased to support S2557, An Act concerning genocide education, as reported by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means this afternoon. We are grateful to Chair Rodrigues and his team for their leadership on this strong bill that achieves key objectives in providing schools across the Commonwealth with access to … Continue reading Joint ADL/JCRC Statement regarding Genocide Education Bill »

Earlier this week I was doing my morning meditation, following a prompt to reflect on the reality that when someone causes harm to someone else, more likely than not, the person causing the harm moves on quickly. Meanwhile the person who was harmed continues to carry it, in the form of anger. That anger prevents us from being able to be curious about why the … Continue reading Holding Complex Relationships »

Click here to watch the opening montage of JCRC Celebrates! Dear Friends, Ten years ago this very morning, I entered (what is now) the Kraft Family Building for the very first time as the new director of JCRC.  On that first morning, when I turned the corner onto High Street, waiting for me outside the building was our board chair, Bill Gabovitch, who ceremoniously held … Continue reading Reflecting on my decade at JCRC »