Open Search form

Synagogues

Apply for a Blog

Jul 6, 2026, 6:14 AM

A Weekday Siddur, but for Whom? A Review of Lev Shalem for Weekdays

The Rabbinical Assembly has finally come out with the weekday edition of Siddur Lev Shalem. Following the Machzor in 2010, and the Shabbat/Festival Siddur in 2016, this means that the Lev Shalem series now constitutes a complete set. Many...

Jul 3, 2026, 7:52 PM

The Freedom No One Can Take Away

In August of 1790, George Washington sailed into Newport, Rhode Island. The backstory to that trip is fascinating. The Constitution had already been accepted by the other twelve states, but Rhode Island resisted joining the Union. Many there feared that...

Jun 27, 2026, 12:24 AM

When Liberty Met Faith

Several years ago, I went with my family to visit the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Like so many Americans, we stood there looking at that famous cracked bell and tried to imagine how much history had passed through that room....

Jun 23, 2026, 3:57 PM

We Forgot How to Pray

While visiting Europe's largest synagogue, I realized one real danger for Jews isn't anti-semitism, it's that most Jews no longer know how to talk to God. Last week I visited the largest synagogue in Europe. Fortunately, I was able to...

Michael Bresler

Jun 17, 2026, 11:20 PM

AI in Synagogues: Leading Through Change

Every generation of synagogue leaders faces a version of the same challenge. The world changes. Communities change. Expectations change. And leaders must decide what to preserve, what to adapt, and what to leave behind. Today, AI is part of that...

Jun 13, 2026, 12:51 AM

The Why of the Journey

This week, I walked into a hospital room that did not feel anything like the hospital room I had spent several days in last week. Last week, I spent several days in the maternity ward. It was a room full...

Michael Bresler

Jun 11, 2026, 1:50 PM

AI in Synagogues: Trust is What Matters

Trust is one of the most valuable assets a synagogue possesses. It is built slowly. Through relationships. Through consistency. Through showing up in moments that matter. People trust their synagogue with some of the most important chapters of their lives. A birth. A wedding. A loss. A difficult...

Michael Feldstein

Jun 11, 2026, 3:00 AM

More Than Just a Kashrut Organization

Used with permission

For many people, the Orthodox Union is instantly recognizable for the small "OU" symbol on millions of kosher products worldwide. For more than a century, the organization has been synonymous with kosher certification, establishing itself as one of the...

Jun 6, 2026, 12:11 AM

From the Cemetery to the Maternity Ward

This Monday, I drove from one end of the universe to the other. Not literally, of course. I was only driving a few short miles from the cemetery, where I had just completed a funeral, and heading straight back to...

Michael Bresler

Jun 1, 2026, 6:50 PM

The Synagogue Is More Than a Building

Synagogues are not sustained by programs alone. They are sustained by relationships, trust, memory, and presence. In an age of AI and operational change, the real question is not how technology can replace synagogue life, but how it can...

Load more