Religion

If Reform Judaism is to thrive, then what has emerged as its most  distinctive feature—the place of personal autonomy—needs to be  recalibrated. Personal choice needs to shift from being Reform’s  central principle to being a starting point. Of course, the ultimate  authority in religious life lies with the self. But what do we do with  … Read more

Let us think of the 30-second Super Bowl commercial on antisemitism as the kickoff of sorts to a longer, sustained drive down the field. I’m grateful for the work of Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. To bring the vital message to #StandUpToJewishHate” to more than 100 million Super Bowl viewers is admirable. But now … Read more

By FAITH LEENER, LEON MORRIS – DECEMBER 4, 2023 03:55 We must acknowledge that long texts that carry complexity and layers are not written with the intent of being read in two-minute spurts with mundane distractions and digital notifications around us. If you’ve been on the Internet or social media in 2023 then you’ve likely … Read more

An anthropologist observing the ways we celebrate Simchat Torah might suggest that this celebration tells a great deal about the Jewish people. Joining hands, singing and dancing around Torah scrolls signify the centrality of Torah in our lives and the way it continues to be a primary source of joy.  I sometimes wonder what these … Read more

Michelle Gary z”l Memorial ProgramRachel Jacoby Rosenfield, Elliott Cosgrove, Leon Morris Shalom Hartman Institute – June 28, 2023 Elliot Cosgrove, Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC, and Leon Morris, President of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, discuss their essays in the most recent issue of Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, … Read more

Leon A. Morris Apr 10, 2023 – Sources, Spring 2023. From shrinking attendance at worship services and the merging and closing of congregations to a crisis of generating new clerical leadership, the decline of liberal religion is evident throughout Western Christianity and Judaism. Demographics cast doubt on the degree to which the extreme accommodation, flexibility, … Read more

Published Jewish News of Northern California Sep 29, 2020by Barry Finestone & Rabbi Leon Morris & Abi Dauber Sterne Interviewed by Felicia Herman The field of Jewish education in North America boasts a wealth of talented and dedicated professionals. These are educators, administrators, scholars, board members, and funders who commit their days, and often their … Read more

By Rabbi Leon Morris, Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield | September 29, 2020Published by The Jewish News of North Carolina Our ability to have civil conversations with the other side is deteriorating rapidly. The differences between the left and the right are an ever-widening gulf, and we are all deeply entrenched within communities that shield us from … Read more

CCAR Journal, Leon Morris, Spring 2020 One of the most oversimplified and often repeated formulations of  Reform Judaism is that “we are not a halachic movement.” What do we mean by describing ourselves in this way? One possibility of being “non-halachic” is this: We are not bound by the Shul chan Aruch, Joseph Karo’s sixteenth-century … Read more