A Pause: Originally, those who labored did so endlessly. One of the Bible's major innovations was the Shabbat, on which all members of Jewish society paused for a full day each week from the daily urgency of earning a livelihood to focus on life's purpose, their relationship with G-d, and the sacredness of the family unit. The ancient societies scoffed loudly at the laziness and irresponsibility of Jewish Shabbat observance.Humanity has since come to recognize the tremendous benefits of the Shabbat. Indeed, Judaism calls for all people to discover the importance of scheduling set times to focus on what is truly important rather than satisfying immediate needs. Today, with overexposure to technology taking a heavy toll, this call is more critical than ever.

A Way ForwardAncient civilization viewed all of human history as a series of eternal recurrences. Beneath the apparent changes, the world and its inhabitants remained the same. The concept of progress was unthinkable, and any will to shape a better future was considered doomed to fail. War was glorified largely because it was inevitable and eternal. The Torah introduced a radical innovation by insisting that time was a vehicle for change. Judaism disparaged war and envisioned its end because it did not consider life to be married to the given moment.Today, most movements believe that the world can become better—although few recognize the Jewishness of this idea. Judaism's path to achieving this goal is via global commitment to the letter and the spirit of ethical monotheism. The modern move to disengage moral principles from their scriptural context saps the vitality from these values. Jews can play a leading role in this effort now that, for the first time, we are invited to join public debates on free and equal terms—an unprecedented opportunity to foster global harmony and moral awareness.

Megilla Reading, Delicous Dinner, Hamantashen & Desserts, Tye Dye Crafts, Drum Circle Fun.