The Morality of Earthquakes, Tzunamis and Nuclear Disasters
03/15/2011 11:27:18 AM
Our hearts go out to the Japanese people, and all the other folks affected by the recent earthquake, tsunami and ongoing nuclear crisis. These are sad and scary times…
Natural disasters often beg the question: “Where was God?” both regarding the suffering that such natural disasters cause, as well as the role God in the unfolding of reality: did God cause the earthquake and everything else that followed?
Was the...Read more...
Israel on our Minds
02/24/2011 11:28:57 AM
With the Middle East in turmoil, the Jewish world turns to Israel wondering what the future will be. Coincidentally, just last Thursday I met with 15 members of our Social Action Committee to lead a dialogue about Israel as a pilot for a community-wide program. The goal was simple: to create a safe environment for people to express a diversity of opinions about Israel without fear of conflict or judgment.
As simple as that seems...Read more...
Death Don't Have No Mercy
02/10/2011 11:30:31 AM
I recently met with some members of the Chevra Kadisha of Sonoma County, the Jewish Burial Society of Sonoma County. We talked at length about the various challenges they face, especially the need to get the word out about their holy work and how we can help.
In general, Americans are death-averse; we don’t like to talk about death and we work hard to keep the messy details as far away from us as possible. But, “death don’t have...Read more...
Alienation, Take 3
02/01/2011 11:32:13 AM
This past Sunday, 30 members of Shomrei Torah gathered together over an exceptional breakfast provided by Leira and discussed their responses to my blog and the issues it raises. We split into four groups of approximately 8 people and had focused conversations based on the following questions:
What about the Blog spoke to you? What draws you to Judaism – beliefs and practices? What seems like an obstacle? What does your heart long...Read more...Does Evil Exist?
01/31/2011 11:34:10 AM
I just returned from an IJS (Institute for Jewish Spirituality) retreat on the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. As an alumnus of the institute, I have access to two retreats every year. The retreats are a rich mix of prayer, meditation, study and small group discussion. The focus this year was the challenging subject of “evil”, its place in Jewish Tradition, as well as in our own experience. The...Read more...
Martin Luther King Jr and The Exodus
01/17/2011 11:35:33 AM
Every year Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with our weekly readings in the book of Shemot/Exodus. This past week we read from Parashat B’shalakh, the portion that describes the Israelite’s exodus from Egypt and their miraculous delivery at the Sea of Reeds.
This story from degradation to freedom is as well-known as any in our tradition. Revolutionary movements from ancient times until today draw from the deep well of this...Read more...
A Fatal Shooting in Arizona
01/11/2011 11:37:28 AM
What a shock it was to read about the fatal shooting in Arizona; 6 dead including a 9-year-old child and a Federal judge, thirteen wounded. The prime target was Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat and a Jew. As of the writing of this blog, she is in critical condition having been shot at close range in the head. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik summed up many peoples’ feeling when he suggested that the vitriolic political climate of Arizona...Read more...
Pacific Area Reform Rabbi’s Conference
01/05/2011 11:38:55 AM
I am writing to you from PARR, the annual Pacific Area Reform Rabbis conference in Palm Springs. PARR represents a large region from Texas to New Zealand; there are 200+ rabbis in attendance this year.
I’m here for 3 reasons: To get the word out about our search for a Rabbi-Educator; to study with the conference scholar, Rabbi Michael Marmur; and to learn with/share best practices with my colleagues. And, since I’ve been in the...Read more...
Response To Alienation
12/21/2010 11:40:23 AM
My last blog elicited more of a response than anything I have ever written for the Voice! The topic was “alienation,” specifically, how the overwhelming majority of Jews in America are alienated from Judaism and Jewish Tradition.
I guess I “hit a nerve.”
I received three kinds of responses: folks who wanted to help by offering suggestions regarding how to make Judaism/Services more compelling and meaningful; people who...Read more...
Alienation
11/09/2010 11:41:53 AM
Since the Holy Days, I’ve been ruminating over the fact that the overwhelming majority of American Jews are profoundly alienated from their tradition. Sonoma County epitomizes this trend with a 12% affiliation rate. 12%! And, of those 12% who do associate themselves with the organized Jewish community, at most, 20% are regular attendees at religious services. Any way you look at it, the truth is, most Jews simply do not relate to Judaism in...Read more...
Thoughts on the Proposed Mosque near Ground Zero
08/17/2010 11:43:09 AM
I’ve been ruminating on the proposed mosque near the site of the 9/11-terror attack.
While I understand the emotions swirling around the mosque question, once one regains ones rational faculties, I really don’t see the issue. Is this not America, where property rites trump almost all others? Are not freedom of religious expression and equal protection under the law, foundational principles of our democracy? Regardless of how we...Read more...
How a Buddhist Teacher Made Me a Better Jew…
08/10/2010 11:44:49 AM
The Vietnamese Buddhist Thic Nhat Han taught me the deeper meaning of “motzi” , the blessing we say over bread. In his book, Peace In Every Step, he writes that “a poet can see clouds in a piece of paper”. What he means is that, with the right sight, one can see the whole chain of Being that culminates in what ever object you are observing. For the paper it would be rain, the growth of a tree, the birth of a baby who would some day...Read more...
