Rabbi Steven Abraham

This year, Passover brings an extra twist as our beloved holiday begins on Saturday evening, immediately after Shabbat concludes. While always special, a Saturday-night Seder demands additional preparation and awareness of Jewish law (halacha) to ensure a smooth and meaningful transition from the sanctity of Shabbat to the sacredness of Pesach. Here's how to approach this unique situation thoughtfully and practically. 1. Preparation Before Shabbat: Since preparing for Passover cannot occur on … [Read more...]

As we gather once again around the Passover table, the familiar yet eternally powerful command of the Haggadah echoes clearly: “In every generation, one is obligated to see themselves as if they personally went out from Egypt.” This directive is not merely poetic or symbolic; it is a profound call to experience our foundational narrative intimately, urgently, and continuously. To live within the Exodus story means understanding deeply that this story is not simply a historical memory—it is a … [Read more...]

There's something I've been wrestling with deeply in recent weeks, something personal yet profoundly communal. As a parent, a rabbi, and a Jew, I find myself reflecting on the unique significance of Israel in our lives. Israel isn’t a vacation spot. It isn’t merely an option or a checkbox on a list of travel destinations. Israel is home—not figuratively, not symbolically, but truly, deeply, eternally home. And home, especially when it hurts, is worth standing up for. Israel: More Than … [Read more...]

It’s never been easy to raise a Jew, but today, it feels harder than ever. To be Jewish now is to live inside complexity and contradiction. It means navigating pride and frustration, hope and heartbreak, love and critique—all at once. It’s about holding Israel close, embracing it deeply as our ancestral home, even while acknowledging its imperfections and wrestling openly with its moral and political struggles. And yet, there’s a deep courage and authenticity in standing proudly within … [Read more...]

Every Passover, at the heart of our Seder, we teach our children that asking questions is sacred. The very structure of the night revolves around the “Ma Nishtanah”—the child's brave questioning. Embedded in this ritual lies the powerful wisdom that Judaism flourishes when we encourage questioning, dialogue, and personal ownership. But let’s be honest. Somewhere along the way, our communities have struggled to genuinely live this truth. I think often of our Conservative movement—founded with … [Read more...]

https://www.thecut.com/article/a-swastika-scandal-hits-omaha-fashion-week.html There are moments when a headline stops you in your tracks—not because it is violent or tragic, but because it is deeply disorienting. That was the case when I read about the recent scandal at Omaha Fashion Week, where a model walked the runway wearing a jacket that prominently featured what appeared to be a swastika on the back. The designer, Kelli Molczyk, has since claimed the symbol was inspired by an … [Read more...]

I recognize that this message may not sit easily with everyone. Some will disagree with my words, or with the tone. That’s okay. We are a community capable of holding complexity and discomfort together. I’ve tried to write from a place of compassion, integrity, and deep Jewish conviction—even as I share something that may challenge the status quo. In recent days, I’ve been thinking about the advice we are so often given when antisemitism rears its head: don’t say anything. Don’t draw … [Read more...]

532 Days Since October 7 We live in a world where, for some Jews, time has stood still. There are October 8th Jews—those who have been frozen in grief, in rage, in fear, since that dark morning 532 days ago. And there are Jews for whom October 7 never became a defining rupture. They mourned, maybe even protested, and then got back to life. They moved on—not out of malice, but out of habit. Maybe out of comfort. Maybe out of necessity. I love them both—or at least I’m trying to. This … [Read more...]

Part II: The Unraveling of the Rabbinate If my numbers on rabbinical school admissions are slightly off, my sincerest apologies—but by how many? Not dozens. The broader truth remains unchanged: the pipeline is drying up, and the once-stable profession of the rabbinate is now teetering on the brink. Some scholars argue that the proliferation of rabbinical schools—HUC, JTS, AJU, AJR, Aleph, Hebrew College—has spread the limited pool of candidates too thin, weakening each institution’s numbers. … [Read more...]

Why No One Wants to Be a Rabbi Anymore I was ordained as a Conservative rabbi in 2011. My class—graduates from JTS and AJU—was about 30 strong. Most of us had jobs by the end of the hiring season, but not all. Oddly, the ones left waiting were mostly women—competent, learned, and ready to serve but overlooked. The landscape of the rabbinate was already shifting back then, but we didn’t fully grasp just how much. Fast forward to 2025, and rabbinical schools that once ordained dozens now … [Read more...]