


A Dying Business
Since Torah times, people spend too much time on the business of making a funeral. Burying loved ones should not only be a commercial transaction. A funeral is a sacred and indispensable opportunity to say goodbye. Too often we waste much of…

Swept Away
America was close to being governed by racists and anti-Democratic leaders. We aren't the only country in danger of losing our democracy. Israelis elected 14 avowed racists to the Knesset who will pursue an anti-Democratic agenda. Italy has…

The Torah of Taylor Swift
The campaign for women’s equality begins in the Torah with the story of Sarah. Sarah was the realist counterweight to her God-fearing husband, Abraham. Not until a millennium later, when we reach Deborah in the book of judges, do we glimpse…

Anchors and Bombs Away
Vladimir Putin is threatening the use of nuclear weapons. This news terrifies those paying attention, especially in Ukraine. However, the news benefits a few people. Those that benefit manufacture residential bunkers. The industry is booming…

Judaism Worth Choosing
We added a new melody for the High Holidays. The song is “Renew, Rejoice” written by Carrie Newcomer. The songwriter is a quaker whose words connect with the meaning of the High Holidays. She writes: “renew, rejoice, begin to begin again.”…

Completely Incomplete
An effective technique to defuse a pending argument is “to pregame” the events that give rise to tension. For example, we will inevitably debate the process each year of setting up our sukkah. The construction is fraught with peculiar details.…

Thou Shalt Enjoy!
What is the key to happiness? Teddy Roosevelt said that the key to happiness is having low expectations! Buddha said: that happiness doesn't depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think. The Capitalist path to…

Teach the Children, Violence.
I remember when children had utter respect for their parents. It was also a time when spanking was acceptable. Some parents even used the strap. Did “wait ‘til your father gets home” scar(e) us into submission or make us better children?Jewish…

Judaism At Its Core
I substituted reading for my Saturday afternoon nap. I selected another book about the transformation of American Jewish life. Whether warning of an apocalyptic end to Judaism or touting the innovations in Jewish life, these books are all searching…