Tag: Judaism
A Woman is Acquired
“A woman is acquired [in marriage] in three ways…by money, by document, or by intercourse.” This is how the first mishnah in the tractate Kiddushin begins. In just this sentence alone we gain a ... Read More
What’s the Big Deal About Interfaith Marriage?
I attended the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia. I was amazed by the preponderance of sacred fashion statements (the hats!), the number of New Age practitioners from ... Read More
Do We Worship the Same God? Part II: Jewish and Muslim Voices
This is part two of a two-part review of Miroslav Volf’s new edited volume, Do We Worship the Same God? Miroslav Volf has done a great service in bringing together a thoughtful group of reno... Read More
Do We Worship the Same God? Part I: Christian Voices
This is part one of a two-part review of Miroslav Volf’s new edited volume, Do We Worship the Same God? Miroslav Volf has done a great service in bringing together a thoughtful group of reno... Read More
Shabbat Shira and the Power of a Nigun
In addition to being Tu Bishvat—The New Year for the Trees, a minor holiday which has been increasing in significance due to its environmental and Kabbalistic themes, this past Shabbat happened also... Read More
Teaching Heschel and King by Leslie Hilgeman
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – quote used by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I don’t often write about classes I take at rabbinical school. But every so... Read More
Uniting the Transcendent and Immanent: A Jewish Way of Saying “Amen” in an Uncomfortable and Challenging Prayer Space
A couple of months ago, I was recording a video for my community when I heard a sudden knock on my office window. Startled, I quickly finished the recording and went to the nearby door to see who ha... Read More
“Just to Make a Statement”: Power, Sincerity, and the Women of the Wall
The Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall claims that Women of the Wall "don't come to worship, they come to demonstrate." But what he chooses not to see is that separating worship from politics is a luxury... Read More