All Posts by Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
How Do We Rejoice? Sukkot on the Anniversary of October 7
September 29, 2025
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Sukkot is my favorite Jewish holiday. I love spending time in the sukkah. Being outdoors, gathering with family and friends to eat and sing and cele...
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What “Next Year in Jerusalem” Really Means for Zionism Today
April 8, 2025
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
On Saturday night Jews around the world will end the Seder ritual by singing “לשנה הבאה בירושלים”, Next year in Jerusalem! For me, this end to the se...
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The Stickers Tell Israel’s Story
March 6, 2025
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Life goes on in Israel. Cafes are full. People commute to work. Kids are in school. The ceasefire is holding with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Leban...
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What Does Holocaust Remembrance Mean Today?
January 27, 2025
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Today is the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Established by the United Nations in 2005, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day is marke...
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The Deeper Meaning of Sukkot
October 15, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
This holiday, Sukkot, is named for the traditional practice of building and spending time in a sukkah (temporary hut). The practice originates in the ...
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This Elul Things Are Different
September 27, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Most years, I read this psalm metaphorically. I didn’t think of “evildoers” and “foes” and “enemies” as actual people....
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Pride = the Essence of Dignity
June 6, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Pride Month in the Jewish community is about upholding the kavod, the dignity, of LGBTQ+ identifying Jews....
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The Seder – a Remembrance and a Prayer
April 18, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
With Israel at war and antisemitism all around us, the need for the seder’s next redemption, protection from current threats, is especially pertinent....
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The World as We Wish It Was
March 20, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Purim is a topsy-turvy day on which we imagine the world as we wish it was – when good triumphs over evil and justice triumphs over oppression....
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The Timeless Legacy of Volunteering
February 1, 2024
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
Volunteering, like planting a tree, often involves sowing seeds whose fruits we may never see. It’s a commitment to a vision beyond our lifetimes....
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Witnesses to Amazing Display of Resilience
November 30, 2023
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
I have a strong sense of Jewish peoplehood and that, even in this challenging time, the state of Israel and the Jewish people are resilient....
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The Incredible Journey
November 16, 2023
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
I imagine that each of us will continue to process the experience in the days and weeks to come and remember it for the rest of our lives. ...
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Planting Seeds for Future Generations
February 3, 2023
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
...
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The Important Work Ahead
January 26, 2022
Benjamin Mann Ed. D.
Chief Planning Officer
The data from our Jewish community study is in... now it's time to synthesize it in ways that will make a significant impact moving forward....
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