I read Nora Krug’s book Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home. The book is a powerful and judicious invitation to open one’s heart. That turns out not to be a job for cowards. In a season with ambiguous attempts at crowning art over truth (see Don’t Look Away) this book remains lyrical and […]
Sidur Beit Polin; Reviewed by Andrzej P. Kluczyński
Siddur Beit Polin. A prayer book for weekdays, Sabbaths and festivals, ed. Gil Nativ, Union of Progressive Jewish Communities in Poland, Warsaw 2015. June 19th 2015 was an important date for the Progressive Jewish community in Poland – it marked the introduction of the prayer book for the Union of Progressive Jewish Communities in Poland. […]
Sidur Beit Polin; Reviewed by Mati Kirschenbaum
No book reveals more about the state of a Jewish community than its siddur. The siddur reflects the community’s perception of the Divine, its understanding of the covenant between the Eternal and Israel, and its self-perception. For that reason, a new siddur is normally associated with the changes in the religious observance of the community […]
“Ida” Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film; Two Poles React
Ever since the movie “Ida” was released I’ve been thinking about it. People who know about my work with Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland/Beit Polska are asking me for my opinion. All of this inquiry came to a fever pitch recently when “Ida” became the first Polish film to win an Oscar, from the […]