As of this late date in November, 2013, I may be officially the last rabbi in America to blog about the Pew Research Center report on American Jews. Not that I’ve had nothing to say. I’ve just been listening for a while, trying to put it together. I will post a few items on the […]
Wrestling With Our Own Demons
As this week’s parsha begins, Jacob is at a crossroads. Having built a successful life for himself, he is ready to return to his homeland with his family; to take on the responsibility of the spiritual legacy promised to his grandfather, and father, and now to him. Yet, old demons and fears die hard. To […]
Chai Five – Challenges & A Hebrew Game
Note: Chai Five posts share activities and experiences related to my Fifth Grade Judaic Studies/Siddur Hebrew class. It feels as though I’ve just put away the apples and honey and shofar posters and already the Macabees are waiting in the wings. Time, in all its abstract and concrete manifestations is a great challenge as I […]
Blessed be the God of the Jews
It’s not every day that a Talmudic parable comes to life in an actual event. But so it seems to have happened this fall in New Haven, CT. As reported in the Orthodox blog Vos Is Neias and subsequently in the Forward, Rabbi Noach Muroff bought a desk on Craigslist, only to discover $98,000 hidden […]
Beyond the SNAP Challenge
Today is “a damp, drizzly November in my soul” … well, actually in my neighborhood. My own soul feels pretty good. But here in New York City, the weather is just as Melville describes on the first page of Moby Dick. And especially for my most vulnerable neighbors, November has been colder and more challenging, […]
The Strength of Angels
While we can read between the lines of Torah and conjecture, we will not ever know the extent to which Jacob was a bullied child. Did he resort to desperate bargaining because Esau was stronger and his father’s favorite child? Was he never helped to develop the skills of self advocacy needed to cope with someone […]
“It’s Not Fair!”
“It’s not fair; she gets to go visit a friend. Why do I have to stay home?” “Fair is not always the same. Do you only want to be able to visit a friend if your sister is also invited?” “It’s not fair; how come he gets to stay outside?” “Fair is not always the […]
SNAP To It
This week, for the second time, I am undertaking the “SNAP challenge” of spending on food only the average daily benefit for those receiving food stamps (AKA the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Nationally, that benefit is $4.50 per person per day, and in New York State it is $4.92 per person per day. When budget […]
Ressurecting The Dead
Hello friends, After a sabbatical from the synagogue and from “Honest to God” — although I hope not from honesty to God — I am returning to JCast Network and to this blog. It’s good to be back. Please give a gander and this next post, to follow anon.
What Does Abraham Teach Us About Telephone Etiquette
As we begin this week’s Torah portion, we find Abraham sitting at the entrance to his tent, absorbed in G-d’s presence. Abraham looks up and sees three people approaching. We are told that he immediately gets up and goes to greet and welcome the visitors. Giving those in his midst his full attention he ensures […]
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