Category: Challenges
How Paul Tillich Helped Me Matter
I recently received an email from the fine editorial staff at State of Formation informing me that I am officially a lapsed contributor and my posting account might be deleted. This is very true. I ha... Read More
Learning from the Non-Religious
I’m working on my thesis right now, which (allegedly) is a foray into theistic-atheistic dialogue. With the prodigious rise of atheism in this country over the past ten years as well as Europe’s s... Read More
Three Questions on Immigration Reform
This past Tuesday afternoon, President Obama addressed the nation about the pressing need for immigration reform. As he noted, the approaches to this reform will be quite varied in ideology and implem... Read More
Repealing the Ban Against Sikhs in the Military
Originally published on The Huffington Post. A few weeks ago, the British Army and the Scots Guard broke centuries of tradition by allowing a Sikh soldier, Jatinderpal Singh Bhullar, to wear his turba... Read More
Teaching Heschel and King by Leslie Hilgeman
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – quote used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I don’t often write about classes I take at rabbinical school. But every so... Read More
“The Problem of Nation-State in Democratic Politics” by Yi Shen Ma
The meaning of nationhood is a hotly debated issue in Western political theory. Despite its intrinsic ambiguity, however, most scholars agree that the idea of a “nation” is real enough to impact t... Read More
Reflections from a Subway Platform: Sunando Sen and The Fight To End Discrimination
I can’t stop thinking about Sunando Sen. Two weeks before Mr. Sen was pushed into the elevated tracks at 40th-Lowery St, I stood on that platform, fresh from an evening with a good friend. I love th... Read More
Uniting the Transcendent and Immanent: A Jewish Way of Saying “Amen” in an Uncomfortable and Challenging Prayer Space
A couple of months ago, I was recording a video for my community when I heard a sudden knock on my office window. Startled, I quickly finished the recording and went to the nearby door to see who ha... Read More