Cantor, Teacher, Writer
There's been so much in the news lately about white privilege. And one reason why this phenomenon is so insidious and damaging is that by definition, the majority of people who benefit from it are happily, blissfully unaware. Those who must suffer the consequences are vocal and persuasive in their arguments, but until the institutions ...
These are the Torah portions which try men's souls. Or women's. Or really anyone who attempts to find some kind of relevance in parsha after parsha, column after mind numbing column, of what can only be accurately be described as IKEA directions for some product called Tåbernacłe. You have to wonder--when the Israelites had finished ...
I think we have a silence problem. People seem to be afraid of total quiet. You notice it everywhere. You can't sit in a doctor's office without seeing and hearing the TV set mounted in the corner, tuned to some random daytime talk show. Of course no one is actually watching the TV; everyone is ...
Sure, the Bible is pretty classic. It always sits on the top of the world's bestselling titles. People quote from it all the time. Some people have actually read it cover to cover. Is it wrong to say that I think the Bible is in desperate need of a reboot? They've pretty much taken those ...
I had a bit of an AHA! moment the other week. Often that just means I remembered where I put my keys. This time it was a little more profound. I had the privilege recently to see the Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof that is playing at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NY. ...
The Four Questions. Do any other three words strike as much fear into the hearts of little Jewish kids around the world as those? Generations of Jews remember having to stand up in front of everyone present (and especially nasty old Aunt Ida who never had a good thing to say) and sing these questions ...
Long ago, I think some corporate executives within the Organization of Jewish Religion decided that they had a ratings problem. Christian merch was flying off the shelves and their branding was expanding around the globe. The Jews felt they had something special--after all, it was their legacy product that set the stage for everything that ...
