We weave a tapestry that binds us together

I am always looking for the connections between the people I know and the things they are interested in and the opportunities I run across. I love introducing people and finding out they have some prior connection. I think it's part of having attended a small liberal arts college – or why …

We want each of you to find a seat at the table

This is my favorite time of year for cooking. Actually, at this stage of the game, it's more like assembling than cooking. The farmer's markets, even the supermarkets, are full of wonderful fruits and vegetables that need very little preparation in order to make a wonderful meal. I get so ca…

Israel seeks to raise the economic well-being of all its citizens

I'm back! I have so many stories from this trip. The purpose of the UJC Campaign Chairs & Directors Mission is to visit the work our partners at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel do on the ground in Israel, and we did just that. And quickly –…

Jewish, Muslim, and Christian kids learning with and from each other

I am writing to you from our Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission bus, returning from Ramle to Tel Aviv, to attend the opening of the Maccabiah games. We saw a remarkable program in Ramle called Net@. Aimed at youth at risk in 23 communities in the physical and social periphery of Israel, i…

Packing for Israel

July 6, 2009

I'm packing for Israel. Well, I'm packing mentally, at any rate. There's the practical list of material items. Noise-cancelling headphones and a stack of New Yorker magazines for the plane rides. The all-important converter plug for the phone charger, laptop charger, hair dryer…