Category: Congregation
On Mass Incarceration & Interfaith Congregations: Thoughts Inspired by Michelle Alexander
Of the many public figures whose passion for social justice inspires me, Michelle Alexander is one of the most intriguing. Well known for her best-selling book The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in ... Read More
“When You Stand Praying … Forgive”
In summer of 2017, my wife and I taught a Sunday school series on the Jewishness of Jesus. It was not the first time we taught this topic. This delightfully progressive and thoughtful group was quick ... Read More
Dispatch from the Lifejacket Graveyard near Eftalou Beach in Lesvos Greece
There is a “lifejacket graveyard” on the island of Lesvos in Greece, where Syrian and Afghani refugees flee from wars, departing from the Turkish shores 4 kilometers away. This is where ad... Read More
Some Biblical Reflections on Refugees
The Biblical story of salvation begins with a community of refugees. The book of Genesis recounts how Jacob and his family sought refuge in Egypt from a severe famine. The book of Exodus begins–... Read More
Breaking the Silence
There are approximately ten weeks between the election and the inauguration of the next president. In the grand scheme of things, ten weeks is not a lot of time (and before 1933, Inauguration Day w... Read More
On Deception and it’s Consequences
When I read the story of Yaakov stealing Esau’s blessing from their father, Yitzchack in this week’s parsha, Parashat Toldot, I am filled with a wide array of often conflicting emotions. I feel a ... Read More
Careful Forgiveness: Atoning with Life in the New Year
“Let us forget with generosity those who cannot love us.” Pablo Neruda Yom Kippur is the Jewish day of atonement between humanity and the divine. Jewish tradition dictates that atonement between h... Read More
Come and Eat: Breaking Bread on Ramadan
I recently attended an Iftar dinner at my synagogue, along with members of a Turkish Muslim interfaith institute. My rabbi gave a speech about how the Jewish and Islamic traditions understand t... Read More