Posts by Rabbi George Gittleman

In many ways, I am a “post-denominational” Jew. My grandfather was a Conservative rabbi his whole working life. My family was unaffiliated when I was growing up, but as a Jew in my 20’s I found my niche in a small Conservative synagogue in San Francisco called B’nei Emuna. As my Jewish journey unfolded, it was Rabbi David Hartman, one of the leading modern Orthodox thinkers of the 20th Century, who really inspired me to become a...Read more...

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...

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:

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...

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...

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...

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...