“Don’t do it!” “You’re crazy – it’s professional madness!” “Have you lost your mind?” These were the comments a friend of mine, a congregational rabbi, received from his colleagues when he shared his planned topic for his Kol Nidre sermon. It’s not hard to guess that this rabbi’s selected topic of focus was Israel. Whether you consider these reactions sad, logical or exaggerated, one fact is clear; speaking and teaching about Israel is complicated and the approaches clergy and educators have used in the past need a serious transformation. Read more.