August 18: Israel Therapy: For the conflicted (a three-part virtual series)
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
This three-part series is in partnership with The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center. It will take place on June 16, July 14 and August 18 at 11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT
Register here.
Are you anxious [about Israel’s politics or policies]? Feeling depressed [about its future]? Do you struggle to talk about it with your children [or parents or neighbors]? Wonder why your [colleagues-friends-strangers] expect you to explain the intricacies of Jewish democracy to them?
You’re not alone. Thousands of American Jews marvel at Israel’s achievements in technology, art and food — but recoil at its religious hegemony or human-rights record. We worry about what seems like a growing chasm between Israeli Jews and the Diaspora. And who can understand its seemingly endless election cycle?
Israel Therapy is for those who love the Jewish state — or love to hate it, hate to love it, wonder why it doesn’t always love them back. We’ll sort through the stressful confusion and give voice to the feelings, concerns and questions you’ve been afraid to ask.
What does it mean to be a Jewish state if Israel rejects how I practice Judaism? How do I square my Jewish values of social justice and Israel’s ongoing occupation of the West Bank? Why does it seem like Israel expects us to keep sending money — yet have no say in how the country is run? Our chief therapist is Libby Lenkinski, who went to Zionist summer camp from ages 9 to 25, spent a decade living in Israel, and has counseled Hollywood celebrities and international diplomats about the Jewish state. Libby will be joined by Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of the Forward and former Jerusalem bureau chief of The New York Times. Special guest therapists to be announced.
We don’t promise that they’ll eliminate your doubts, but they’ll help with your commitment issues.
Join us for one session or all three, June 16, July 14 and August 18 at 11:30 AM EDT.
Register here.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
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