Category: Community
Who decides who can be in a dialogue?
Not long ago I was in a conversation where we were brainstorming about a potential dialogue when my Muslim colleague surprised me by saying “I heard that Dr W (name withheld) is a lesbian, so don’... Read More
Yom Kippur Kavanah
I am writing this on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur is a day on which we communally and individually ask for forgiveness for the sins we have committed again... Read More
“Who by Fire, Who by Water:” What the High Holidays Can Teach Us About Beginning Graduate School
For many people, September is a time of endings. The weather cools, the days shorten, leaves turn brilliant colors, then fade and die. For students, teachers, and anyone else involved in the world of ... Read More
5774: The Year of Tangerine Teshuvah
Recently, I bought a tangerine. It was an accident, really. I didn’t mean to buy a tangerine. I meant to buy an orange. They look pretty similar, especially when you’re in a rush and you k... Read More
The Sacredness of Human Life in an Age of Terror
By Dustin Craun Last month as Ramadan came to an end, we reflected on a month that saw beauty and spiritual light rain upon the earth, and at the same time we reflect on the gross injustices committed... Read More
Rosh HaShanah – The Day of Infinite Possibilities
Each year we have the opportunity read the text of our lives differently according to the vowels we supply. Rosh Hashanah invites us to gently and lovingly bring ourselves back to God, the eternal mot... Read More
Three Holidays and a Bar Mitzvah
As I write this, the first of the Jewish High Holy Days, Rosh Hashana, is less than two days away—and (to paraphrase Rabbi Alan Lew), I am completely unprepared. The month of Elul, now rapidly comin... Read More
On Affront: A Quaker’s Response Towards Being Wronged
My bike was stolen this last week. It happened in broad daylight, whilst I was teaching my first class of the term. At 12:30pm, I parked my bike at the library on campus, locked it up with my Knog-loc... Read More