Category: Intra-Faith
Warming Up Thanksgiving Dinner
I recently gave a wa’ez (sermon) on social media, service, and faith. The organizing conceit was Sesame Street, and ideas revolved around the number 5 and the letter “P.” At the end, I had five ... Read More
A Priest and a Rabbi Walk onto an Aircraft Carrier: A Call to Serve God and Country
As the Jewish world continues to change more rapidly and radically than rabbis and Jewish professionals can wrap their heads around, many leaders have to re-evaluate what their rabbinate will look lik... Read More
When in Rome, Do as the Progressive Roman Jews Do
I was late to Rosh Hashanah services at Beth Hillel, Rome’s new progressive Jewish community. I meant to leave my apartment at 6pm but I scooted out the door by 6:45pm, realizing that the mistake wo... Read More
Pointing Fingers Just Won’t Cut It
This blog post was originally written in the Spring of 2014 but has since been revised. While this particular topic might feel a bit dated for myself, I realize this is not dated for so many and fel... Read More
We Have No Water
Israelis control Palestinian water resources, directing two-thirds of it to Israeli settlers who use three times the amount of water Palestinian homes do. Palestinians must buy their own water back fr... Read More
Noticing the Shadow of the Cross
As a rabbinical student and someone who wears a kippah every day, I think of myself as being pretty comfortable with being Jewish. Since starting to wear a kippah in public in 2009, I have gradually g... Read More
Hospitality or Friendship ?
These days there is a lot of talk of hospitality in the field of theologies of religions. Some time ago I presented a paper at the global congress The World’s Religions after September 11 on ... Read More
The Roman Jewish Vigil for Israel
In the Piazza della Rotunda of the Pantheon, at the heart of Rome, there was a rally in support of Israel held by the historic Roman Jewish community. Traces of trauma from World War II are here, sca... Read More