Make your voice count!
How many times have we meant to call our legislator, wanted to sign that petition but let it fall to the bottom of our e-mail inbox, planned to sign up for a shift at the soup kitchen or intended to…
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Category Rabbinic Thoughts
Parashat Pinchas: Leading to better communication and understanding
Parashat Balak (last week’s reading) has quite a disturbing end. The short chapter reads like a report that predicts the end of “Project Exodus”. The situation in the camp is chaotic, all boundaries are fallen and no one cares anymore…
Why Shabbat Is the Opposite of Busy, and Five Ways to Get in on It
What does Shabbat mean to us? Why do we need this day of rest? Carly L. Goldberg in her essay touched these important questions. “Busy”: It’s a word that rolls off my tongue with such ease that it scares me. Being busy…
Chukkat: A wonderful role model
Reading Parashat Chukkat, we engage ourselves quite often in the discussion of Moses’ big mistake which resulted in God’s severe punishment. Why is he prohibited to enter the promised land, why can’t he enjoy the fruits of his hard work?…
Temple Israel represents the early history of progressive Jews in South Africa
This week we are going to celebrate the 80th birthday of Temple Israel. What a great milestone! I have over the years been involved on a regular basis at Temple Israel from 2010. I felt honoured and privileged to have…
Parashat Sh’lach Lecha: We looked like grasshoppers to ourselves
I think it’s fair to say that just about everybody knows that the Israelites were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years – a biblical generation. But what led to it, is less well known. This week’s parashah—Sh’lach…
In Conversation with the Mystic
Last week I received an invitation to participate in an amazing event “In Conversation with the Mystic” An intimate discussion between South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, and Esteemed Yogi Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Sadhguru is a realized yogi, mystic and…
What in God’s name is happening in this, our world?
The news on Sunday was shocking, confusing, and unspeakably tragic. What in God’s name is happening in this, our world? Last week Tel Aviv, this Sunday Orlando, and next week …? There is so much pain. In thousands of places…
Today we weep – the day after Orlando
The news on Sunday was shocking, confusing, and unspeakably tragic. What in God’s name is happening in this, our world? Last week Tel Aviv, this Sunday Orlando, and next week …? There is so much pain. In thousands of places all…
The Torah belongs to us all
This coming Sunday we celebrate the giving of the Torah from God to the Jewish people. This extraordinary moment is recorded by the Torah as follows: “You stand this day all of you before Adonai your God; your captains of…