Did you know 20 years is an emerald anniversary? Deborah Wechsler was brought on as Congregation Chizuk Amuno’s first female rabbi 20 years ago, and on Sunday her congregation feted her with a memorable celebration. Read more about her professional and personal journey and her important role in her community in this week’s Cover Story.
The Local News section covers the efforts of one Maryland state delegate to change the definition of what constitutes a hate crime, and explores the past successes and current challenges facing the Levindale Auxiliary as it celebrates 120 years of serving the Baltimore Jewish community and seeks to facilitate engagement across generations.
In Editorials, the we examine the opportunity Benny Gantz has been given to form an Israeli government not headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, and the obstacles that still stand in his way. We also discuss the “age of anxiety” facing American Jewry today; and in this week’s Voices section, the director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism shares insights based on real-world data on the activities of white supremacists in America. The information he provides on efforts to combat anti-Semitism online and the violence it inspires in real life illustrates that while the threat is real, it is being met with equal fervor by people devoted to protecting communities at risk.
In Arts & Life, we explore the tireless work of a dedicated archivist and his efforts to catalogue the memorial items left to the victims of the Tree of Life attack by ordinary citizens, Jews and non-Jews alike. “Dayenu in Dixie” focuses on two Jewish musicians (one a Maryland native) and how their music provides them with an avenue to grapple with their identity as Jews in the American South.
From news to features to an outstanding array of upcoming events courtesy of Worth the Schlep, this is a jam-packed issue and we hope you enjoy it!
Shabbat Shalom
