Category: Social Issues
Seeds of Compassion: The Bodhi Tree, Ramadan, and Survival of the Kindest.
Earlier this month, while many people around the world were celebrating the birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the man whose immeasurable compassion has touched the world, a few were planting bo... Read More
Am I Trayvon? Zimmerman? Both?
Originally Published on The Huffington Post As I strolled outside my Manhattan apartment this morning, reflecting on the Trayvon Martin decision, I had one of those moments that would shatter any poss... Read More
On Sinat Chinam, Language, and Bridge-building
As I write this, it is erev Tisha b’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, on which we commemorate a host of tragedies that have befallen us throughout history, primarily the destructions of bo... Read More
A Lament for Justice
I have seen a lot of responses to the recent verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. Many of the responses have expressed outrage, sadness, and a host of other emotions and opinions about this unfortun... Read More
“Welcoming the ‘Whelps’: A Queer-Allied Reading of Matthew 15:21-28,” by Catie Scudera
Matthew 15:21-28 and its corollary text Mark 7:24-30 take place within a historical context of great turmoil and tragedy for the Jewish people.[1] During Jesus’s time, Pax Romana was in effect, wher... Read More
Identity or Value?: On Chris Stedman’s “Faitheist” and Religious Monuments
When a friend gave me blogger Chris Stedman’s new book Faitheist, I was skeptical at first. The quick, attention-grabbing writing that makes for a good blog post or op-ed column can feel flippant an... Read More
It’s right to yell fire when the theater is burning
One of my all-time favorite TV shows was Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC, 1993-99). Richard Belzer’s character, conspiracy theorist Det. John Munch, carried over to Law & Order: Special ... Read More
Becoming in a broken moment: learning to take imperfect action
The daughters of Zelophad, in last week’s torah portion, Pinhas, come to ask Moses to change the laws of inheritance. They are daughters of a son-less father. Based on preexisting inheritance la... Read More