Blogging

Pitching the Jewish Tent

I’m still traumatized by the first, and only time, I went camping. We had to shlep heavy tenting materials, bars, posts, and connective joints, up a sandy hillside. With a combination of teamwork and desperation, we pitched our tent! But then…

Anti Loneliness

Surgeon General Vivek Murtha recently issued an advisory on the public health crisis of loneliness. Even before the Covid pandemic, Americans reported enduring periods of profound loneliness. Murtha’s report calls for a renewed effort toward…

Slavery and Torah

After visiting civil rights memorials in Alabama, I’ve been reading about the history of slavery. The facts are shocking. The arguments made and justification for slavery are appalling. Some of them come straight out of the Bible. As I…

My Heroes

My American history teacher asked our high school class to offer the name of a hero. I recall my answer vividly and I’ll share that with you at the end.  Thinking about the need for Jewish heroes, I worry about the lack of inspiring leaders…

The Archeology of You

Think of an archeologist with a sieve in hand. She sorts through piles of debris and detritus. Through the sieve falls the dirt. Treasures hidden in the earth are captured in the mesh. And that sieve is a metaphor for Judaism! Schmutz fills…

Lepers, Jews and Prostitutes

Lepers, Jews, and prostitutes had a lot in common in Medieval Europe. They were all reviled. All were forced to wear distinctive clothing. Imagine the plight of a leprous Jewish prostitute! Some things change with time. Today, leprosy is curable…

A Fiery Fate

Aaron’s eldest sons, Nadav and Abihu, met a fiery fate. As with reports of many deaths, the event shocks us. How could the two oldest sons of the High Priest be consumed so suddenly? The answer might have some importance to us in a time of…

Narrow Places

Passover recalls escaping slavery, which is the narrowest imaginable place. Slavery not only shrinks the world, but it also constricts the spirit. In modern times, physical slavery continues. And there is also personal slavery as we are sometimes…

Exodus’ Never Ending Story

The Exodus never ended. The historic journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is over. But the existential state of exodus continues. Sometimes we are moving away from and other times we are moving toward it. And the key to life might be in our…

Jewish Like a Campfire

Sitting around a campfire requires a lot of effort. Someone must arrange the logs, poke the logs, and add more logs to keep the fire lit. I find it tiresome and prefer to sit at other people's campfires. Yet, I enjoy sitting outdoors, watching…