Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
During my vacation in Berlin I was having a conversation with a friend where we were reminiscing about some events from our past. While we, broadly speaking, remembered the event in the same way, there were certain elements and details…
In Parashat Mas’ei, we read a review of the Israelite’s journeys through their forty years in the desert. It is important to understand that the journey was not orchestrated by the human mind, but was designed by God. The point…
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…
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…
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?…
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…
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…
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…
Coming Sunday (5 June/28 Iyyar) we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, one of several Jewish holidays com-memorating events of war in the modern State of Israel. This one recalls Israel’s regaining of the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six Day War…
Once upon a time there was a king who had a wonderful and very large palace. The palace was decorated so beautifully that it took people’s breath away when they entered. There was, however, one very long and wide hall…