Category: Community
The Interfaith Triangle
One of my greatest joys in working with Eboo Patel is watching him think. He is the sharpest wit in most of the rooms he enters, and if you manage to catch him with a surprising or unusual question af... Read More
Introducing the New RRD Program at State of Formation
Dear State of Formation, I am very pleased to announce that we as a national and international community are continuing to grow and unfold, as we enter the third year of State of Formation! This year ... Read More
Can Grit and Curiosity Transform Urban Education?
Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, opened his talk by discussing rats. In an audience of Harvard education students, this set the expectati... Read More
From Minyan to Critical Mass: Interfaith Immersion
As an interfaith organizer, anyone who gives me advice is likely to affirm the value of building one-on-one, trusting relationships. As a social entrepreneur, many people give me advice to focus on de... Read More
Evil Rising From Where We Tried to Bury It
In 1945, as Allied forces were closing in on him, Adolf Hitler took his own life. His death seemed to symbolize the end of the Nazi Empire. In recent times, there appears to be a Rise of the Evil Hi... Read More
Through the Eyes of Sikh Kids: a Profound Lesson in Tolerance
Last weekend, I had the unenviable task of teaching Sikh children about the massacre in Oak Creek. The kids sat at picnic tables overlooking a lake at sunset at a summer camp in New York State. They c... Read More
Reflections on Elul and Rosh Hashanah
We are nearly halfway through the month of Elul, the final month of the Jewish year. With Elul’s arrival, we usher in a period of personal introspection, repentance and spiritual renewal, which take... Read More
DivInnovations Profile 4: Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Even the simple, often taken for granted and hurried act of consuming food is subject to measured reflection and meditative awareness in a communal setting. At mealtime, blessings are given before and... Read More