Rabbi Jamie wears several hats, one of which is for whom she wrote this column. Image credit: Lilian Broca Many think of Purim, which begins at sundown on Monday, as a joyous holiday celebrated with carnivals, hamantaschen (cookies that look like hats), and costume parties. It is all of that, but it’s also a more complex holiday, layered with themes of antisemitism, revenge, the objectification of women, and behind-the-scenes politics. Yet behind-the-scenes politics are not n

Earlier this month I spent two weeks in Israel.  I hadn’t been back in 10 years.  I had the honor to share some thoughts on the trip at Beth Chaim Congregation on 1/23/26. I didn’t come back with answers — but I did come back with a deeper sense of what makes coexistence possible and what makes it so fragile. You can view the video of my sermon here . And here are some photos of the trip Our group of 23 rabbis overlooking Jerusalem. Leora Eilon speaking to our group A home

As my two weeks in Israel come to a close, my head is spinning. It will take time to process it all. I welcome your questions, but there are no short answers and no easy sound bites. When we sit down to explore these ideas, order the venti with an extra shot. The Amplify Israel Trip [1] Day 1 was spent in Tel Aviv, talking with people charged with telling Israel’s story in more than a tweet. We heard from Dan Hagari, former IDF spokesperson, about the near-impossible task of