From the Executive Editor

In My Own Words: Two important things to remember

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

This is a contentious time in the United States. While I am not happy with the actions of our new president, I feel it is important to reflect on two things when reading the many executive orders and potential legislation coming from the White House. Some people wil…

In My Own Words: Countdown

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

My last day as executive editor of The Reporter is scheduled to be December 31 of this year. As of the date of this issue (January 24), I have 11 months and one week remaining before I retire. (When I talk to people, I usually add the number of hours and minutes, bu…

In My Own Words: Personal life, crime and privacy

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Recent events have left me puzzling the connections between several things that, at first, may not seem connected. They are the results of the U.S. House Ethics Committee’s report on former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, the increasing restrictions being placed o…

In My Own Words: Holding two contradictory ideas

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

The USA Today headline said, “Subway killing divides country.” The article announced the acquittal of Daniel Penny. For those unaware of the trial, Penny was found not guilty of the killing of Jordan Neely, an unhoused person who suffered from mental illness. Th…

In My Own Words: My synagogue quirk

By Rabbi Rachel Esserman 

I have what some might consider an unusual quirk when meeting someone new at my synagogue: I never ask them what they do for a living. While I’m more than happy to learn about their work/career if they are interested in talking about it, in the context of the sy…