News & Notes
Helping People Find Their People: Rabbi Sari Laufer on Jewish Community Today
Monday, July 06, 2026
When Rabbi Sari Laufer talks about her role at Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles, she says her job is “to meet people and to help people find their people.” Individuals may show up for a class, a...
Unity Without Uniformity: What Jewish Peoplehood Asks of Us Now
Thursday, April 23, 2026
We are living through a moment that is difficult to describe in simple terms. There is pride, fear, gratitude, and discomfort all at once. In a recent conversation I had with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg,...
Looking North: Comparing Jewish Life in Canada and America
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
When I sat down with Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin for our Melton+ “Meet the Rabbis” series, we talked about the forces shaping North American Jewish life right now, and what comes next. We also explored...
From ‘Death to Israel’ to Dancing in the Streets
Monday, March 02, 2026
Excerpt of opinion article written by Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz, Melton's International Director, that originally appeared in The Times of Israel . Just a few weeks ago, the streets of the world’s...
Introducing Meetinghouse by Melton
Sunday, March 01, 2026
Are you in your 30s, 40s, or 50s? Navigating the ups and downs of this season of life: career, relationships, meaning, purpose? Meetinghouse brings you into conversation with one of the world’s...
The Hard Sell of Jewish Thriving - Moving Beyond the Blue Square
Monday, February 09, 2026
Excerpt of opinion article written by Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz, Melton's International Director, that originally appeared in The Times of Israel . Last night, between the multi-million dollar beer...
Intellectual accessibility: The next frontier of Jewish inclusion
Monday, February 02, 2026
Excerpt of opinion article written by Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz, Melton's International Director, for ejewishphilanthropy.com . As we mark Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion...
Hope as a Moral Practice: Desire, Vision, and Responsibility
Monday, January 26, 2026
I spoke recently with Dr. Oded Adomi Leshem, a Political Psychologist and Senior Researcher at the Psychology of Intergroup Conflict and Reconciliation Lab at the Hebrew University. Leshem is also...
A Seven Year-Old's Answer to Antisemitism (and What it Teaches Us)
Thursday, December 11, 2025
During our recent Melton Ask the Rabbis conversation, I listened as Rabbi David Wolpe shared a story from an ordinary morning in a coffee shop. A father approached Wolpe and said his seven-year-old...
Rediscovering God in Nature
Monday, October 20, 2025
Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down for a meaningful conversation with my friend and colleague, Rabbi Neil Fleischmann . Our dialogue centered on a question that feels increasingly...
Jewish-Americans or American-Jews: What is the Defining Center of Gravity for American Jewry today?
Monday, August 25, 2025
I recently had the privilege to talk with Rabbi Charles Savenor , and he raised a question that continues to echo in my mind: "Are we Jewish-Americans or American-Jews?" Rabbi Charles Savenor The...
Exploring the Concept of “God” in Uncertain Times: An Interview with Rabbi Mara Young
Monday, August 04, 2025
Over the past months, we've noticed something surprising. People who haven't felt a deep connection with God (or the general concept of "god"), are finding themselves drawn back to the idea. And not...
