A reminder to all Am Shalom members:

Today is the last day of Early Bird registration for the URJ Biennial in Washinton DC! Learn all about this incredible gathering here.

Save $50 on an opportunity to see President Obama, David Broza, and many, many more wonderful speakers and performers.

Sign up by the end of the day here!

**Join us December 14-18, 2011 in Washington, DC. Biennial is where Reform Jews gather to learn, pray, share ideas, dance and sing, hear from inspiring guest speakers, reunite with old friends, make new connections, and make decisions about the policies of the Reform Movement**

This just in! Israel and Hamas announced today that they have reached a tentative agreement that will bring Gilad Shalit home. According to the terms of the deal, Israel will release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners for the lone Israeli soldier who has been held captive for over five years.

According to a New York Times article, unconfirmed reports claim that among the freed Palestinians would be Marwan Barghouti, who is considered a possible successor to Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

What do you think of the terms of the agreement – one Israeli in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinians?

In two days, we will find ourselves at the 10th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th 2001. It is a day that we, and the rest of the world, will never forget.

I was living in NYC at the time, studying at the Reform seminary, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. I remember that I was running late for school that morning. As I approached the school doors, I looked between two buildings and witnessed the horrific sight of a plane wedged INSIDE one of the two towers. Not two miles from where I stood, tragedy had just struck and, as we know, more was yet to come.

Read the rest of Commemorating September 11th

In 2006 when Gilad Shalit was 19 years old, he was abducted by Hamas terrorists and taken to Gaza, where he has remained in captivity ever since. For five years, Hamas has kept Gilad in total isolation. Hamas has repeatedly denied Gilad even one visit by a humanitarian group, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to provide him with proper medical attention.

This is in direct violation of the Third Geneva Convention.

Read the rest of “Happy” Birthday Gilad Shalit