Time and time again, American Jews have rediscovered a fascinating paradox: Sometimes, it requires bold discontinuities to secure Jewish continuity.

This New Year, as most Jews enter sanctuaries with the push of a button, let’s travel there fueled by clean, pure, renewable Jewish energy.

Both Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are, in fact, holidays about tension between cultures. Both offer opportunities to celebrate our Americanness as well as our ethnic distinctiveness.

We have to remind ourselves—and some men of a previous generation—that the world has changed. Sexist jokes are out and men should be careful about touching women.

My choice to make aliyah came from a strong sense of responsibility for the Jewish people, a pull to keep on writing the Jewish story toward justice.

Moving forward, Bassin is convinced that engagement, not separation, is the only way to create a lasting peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors.