Rabbi Sandra

Read @rabbisandra.bsky.social's reflections on Gaza and the Soul of Judaism.
rabbisandra.substack.com/p/losing-a-g...

Rebuilding from the Ashes: Tisha B'Av and How to Repair Our Broken World Today Tisha B'Av is a container for grief—grief that is both ancient and immediate.

Tisha B'Av is a container for grief—grief that is both ancient and immediate.
rabbisandra.substack.com/p/rebuilding...

Rabbi Sandra Lawson (@rabbisandra) The end of an era: CPB is shutting down after 58 years Yesterday, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it's winding down operations by January 2026. Congress stripped all $1.1 billion in...

The end of an era: CPB is shutting down after 58 years substack.com/@rabbisandra...

Rabbi Sandra Lawson, new CJJ Executive Director is coming to Asheville. Find days and times to meet her on our calendar: www.carolinajewsforjustice.org/calendar

This Sat., 8/2 at 2p et, singer songwriter Kandia Crazy Horse (@cactusroselovesyou ) stops by Color Me Country Radio, along with new music from @camcountry, @scoot_teasley , @rebeccaportermusic , @theboykinz and so much more. Tune in and listen for free on @applemusic Country: apple.co/RissiPalmer

I’m #34 Rising in Faith & Spirituality on @substack Thank you all who read my newsletter and support it by subscribing, sharing or donating. Thank you for supporting my work. This helps to keep the newsletter free. https://substack.com/@rabbisandra?r=1vh8dw&utm_medium=ios

More than 1,000 rabbis and Jewish leaders denounce starvation in Gaza The former rabbi of Washington, D.C.'s largest synagogue denounces starvation in Gaza, joining more than 1,000 rabbis and Jewish leaders from across the world petitioning Israel.

Over 1,000 rabbis press Israel on Gaza aid

www.npr.org/2025/08/01/n...

Thank you

As Jews, we are commanded to welcome the stranger, to pursue justice & to protect the vulnerable. We will continue to organize, educate & hold our elected officials accountable. North Carolina deserves leadership that prioritizes justice & compassion. Our work continues until that is our reality.

Losing a generation open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan... do

Losing a Generation: Moral Clarity, Gaza, and the Soul of Judaism We are losing a generation of Jewish people and it's not because they don't care about Judaism, quite the opposite.

“Judaism, at its core, is not neutral in the face of suffering. We are a people who tell a story—over and over again—of liberation from oppression. We are the original liberation theology.”
open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

We’re losing a generation of Jews because legacy institutions have lost moral clarity. Amid global suffering—especially in Gaza—too many have failed to respond with the compassion, integrity, and prophetic vision our tradition demands.

This Isn't Your Parents' Racism—It's Their Grandparents'/Great-Grandparents' A few years ago, during a keynote, someone asked me—hopefully—if I believed younger generations were less racist.

Bigotry in America continues to evolve open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

Take a moment to say thank you

This Isn't Your Parents' Racism—It's Their Grandparents'/Great-Grandparents' A few years ago, during a keynote, someone asked me—hopefully—if I believed younger generations were less racist.

This Isn’t Your Parents’ Racism—It’s Their Grandparents open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

Carolina Jews for Justice supports food aid for people in Gaza and an immediate end to the Israeli government’s food aid blockade.

Add your voice at JewsForFoodAidForGaza.org and repost this graphic using the hashtag #JewsForFoodAidForPeopleInGaza

Thank you

Multiple Worlds, One Identity: How American Jews Navigate Complex Belonging When Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan introduced the concept of "living in two civilizations" nearly a century ago, he offered American Jews a revolutionary framework for understanding their complex identity.

The Israel-Palestine conflict exemplifies how living in multiple civilizations creates complex negotiations around values and belonging. For generations, many American Jews shared a general framework of support for Israel as a unifying good…”
open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

Opinion | I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.

I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...

Blessed are You, Eternal One, who grants wisdom to those who pursue justice,

And who strengthens the hands of those who dare to judge with equity.

And let us say: Amen.

May your minds stay sharp, your hearts stay brave, and your spirits remain unshaken.
May you draw strength from your ancestors and power from the prayers of those who never lived to see this day.

May your words continue to shape this nation toward a more just and compassionate world.

A Blessing for the Women Who Judge with Justice

May the Holy One bless Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice Elena Kagan, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Three women whose presence on the highest court is a living testimony to resilience, brilliance, and perseverance.

Wrestling with Zeal: A Reflection on Parashat Pinchas This week's Torah portion, Pinchas, is one of the most morally complex in our tradition.

"The word shalom (peace) is usually associated with wholeness, harmony, and restoration. But...the letter vav in the word shalom is traditionally written broken, or cracked. This scribal tradition is unique to this verse and is not found in other occurrences..."
open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

Shavua Tov! Have an amazing week and remember to have fun.

Blessings in Unexpected Places This week's Torah portion, Balak, reminds us that even when people try to curse us, blessings can still break through.

open.substack.com/pub/rabbisan...

Thank you for sharing. It’s good to hear from you. I hope our paths may cross again soon. I’m doing good and grateful for another day.

Thank you

Thank you ❤️

Susan and I have been looking for a home in Durham for a while now, and it’s been hard. So I’m asking for your help.

We’re searching for a place with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, around 1500 square feet. We’d love a walkable neighborhood, no HOA, and not in a subdivision.

I think many of us are managing. I'm good, can't complain