Tag: Hope
In Defense of Snake Handling
The Rev. Mark Wolford, a popular snake-handling, Pentecostal minister, has died. The cause of death was a rattlesnake bite. A little bit of basic background: Snake-handling churches are mostly confine... Read More
The Irony of Jewish American Heritage Month
On May 2, 2012, President Barack Obama declared: …by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2012 as Jewish American He... Read More
From Redemption to Revelation: how do we get there, together?
The period of Counting the Omer (we count 49 days from the second day of Passover to Shavuot) in which we currently find ourselves is a reminder of the road between redemption and revelation. It seems... Read More
Why Count the Omer in Sadness?
After the joyful Seders and family gatherings have ended and we have entered more deeply into the Passover holiday, I often feel jarred by the Counting of the Omer. Traditional Jews mark this time bef... Read More
Racism in America as Noted by a Light-Skinned, Mexican-American
Ever been followed in TJ Maxx because you are not white? I have. Ever been told, “You aren’t Mexican, you are too light. You must be Spanish?” I have. Ever have your former in-laws complain abou... Read More
I Am So Much More Than a Statistic
People think that a high school drop out, drops out because they get pregnant, or they use drugs, or they lack intelligence, or they are lazy. The fact is, that kids drop out of high school for variou... Read More
Culinary Pluralism; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Olive
I was once what adults called a picky eater. There were only certain colors I would eat. The beige family is the most reliable, and it also encompasses most bread-based breakfast foods (rainbow-colore... Read More
Tu B’Shevat: Trees and the Conflict
While I am energized and inspired by the way the holiday of Tu B'Shevat has become catalyst for the Jewish environmental movement, since returning a few weeks ago from five months in Israel I am consc... Read More