Jewish Journeys
“Bring it close!” I urge my students, reading from the prayer book familiar words from the Torah service: “It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it.” They look at me with a mix of wonder, uncertainty and straight-out stress. “Do what?!” “Write a d’var Torah– a short interpretation of Torah. Yes, really. Choose a piece of Torah that speaks to you or your life and write about it. Tell us what speaks to you personally!” And so, the process unfolds, replete with worried looks, Google documents emailed from an octogenarian, encouragement to talk to children and... Read More
As the son of Holocaust survivors, with virtually every member of my family having been either a victim or survivor, I ruled out the possibility of ever visiting a concentration camp. Doing so would be emotionally off the charts. For my entire life, Holocaust depictions of any kind usually triggered momentary bursts of sadness and tears. It was a manageable way of coping. I feared that standing on the ground where these horrors happened would pose too great an assault on the equanimity I had found in dealing with this past. That all changed when I learned about a five-day Zen Peacemaker... Read More
As Jews, we are often reminded that the mandate to “welcome the stranger” is the most oft-cited commandment in the Torah. In the Reform community, these words are a call to conscience – we are called to act in solidary with DREAMers fighting to stay in the country they consider home; we are called to advocate for an Israel that treats refugees with respect and care. We are called to make our homes, our congregations, and our countries places of refuge and sanctuary to those of different experience, circumstance, or background. But what about our hearts? It occurred to me recently that I... Read More
The Hebrew month of Adar, which ends this week, is one of both celebration and sorrow. The Israelites mourned the death of Moses in Adar, yet in this same month they also celebrated his birth. Moses, an imperfect man, was called by God to “come up” to the mountain. There, God told Moses: Tell the people to bring Me gifts, from every person, whose heart so moves him, and let them make Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). This is a precious promise from God to God’s people; God will not only dwell with God’s people, but also in God’s people. In response, the... Read More
This past December was a profoundly life-altering time for me. I attended the Reform Jewish community’s Biennial convention and found something I didn’t even know I was missing. I came to the convention by way of the Dunst Music Project for Social Justice, which was a call for songs to inspire. Despite my activism, I, like many, felt helpless since the presidential election. I felt ineffective, but this call was one in which I passionately believed I could make a difference. Prior to submitting my song, I had no idea about the Reform Jewish community, and so I hesitated. I knew I could... Read More
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