An Unforgettable Journey
I am back from an unforgettable trip to Belarus and Lithuania, where last week I bore witness to some of the most unspeakable crimes committed against Jews during the Second World War and also witnessed some of the most profoundly…
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Bearing Witness in Belarus
My grandmother, like Jewish grandmothers everywhere, was known for her kugle, which she called “sour” because it didn’t have cinnamon or sugar (God forbid). She made her own blintzes, too, which were sweet, as they should be. Her recipes were…
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What makes a community?
First there is “what we do.” Is it the phone call and fresh meal to share with a family just home with a new baby? Is it a word of encouragement during the stress leading up to a Bar Mitzvah?…
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Masterpieces of Justice and Peace
At the end of last week’s parashah, Balak, there is a terrible and violent incident, where some of the children of Israel get caught up in a frenzied orgy of idol worship with Moabite tribes. Pinchas, who was an Israelite…
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An Ideal Not Yet Whole
I love the Fourth of July. Always have and always will. Growing up in Wisconsin, it had a kind of wholesome innocence attached to its annual occurrence. The flags are out; patriotic bunting adorns homes; there are parades led by…
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The Language of Tears
Alicia Stoller, director of JCP's Early Childhood Center, explores what the crisis over immigration means in the context of a child's development.
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Belonging and Building Community
Did you know that between 1880 and 1920 more than 3 million Jews immigrated to the United States from lands across Central and Eastern Europe? It’s a staggering number when you think about it. From the Lower East Side and…
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The Flame of Hope
At the corner of Church and Lispenard is La Colombe, one of my favorite coffee shops in New York City and a particularly favored place for my “outside the office” JCP meetings because of its historic importance for our city…
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To love, to learn, to do
At a JCP staff appreciation event this week on Thursday afternoon, in a room filled with the diverse array of educators and professionals charged with the sacred task of transmitting the Jewish tradition to our families here in Lower Manhattan,…
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Welcome Andy Bachman, JCP’s new Executive Director
On behalf of the JCP Board of Directors and the Executive Director Search Committee, we are excited to announce the selection of Andy Bachman as our new Executive Director. Andy Bachman is a New York City-based community leader and educator,…
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