Trapped by Tradition: A Review of Award-Winning Israeli Film "Gett"
In the riveting courtroom drama Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, the titular character is not the only one on trial.
Gender Expression isn’t a Purim Costume
On Purim, many people will cross-dress and dress up as someone of a different gender. This year, rethink it.
The Adult Issues - and Lessons - of Purim
During the 40 years that I served as a congregational rabbi, Purim evolved from a pleasant celebration into what has become, in my view, almost a third High Holiday.
Black and Jewish: Balancing Minority Identities
"So, you’re Jewish? Like, full-on Jewish? Like, Drake-Jewish? Funny, you don’t look Jewish.”
Yehuda: A Poem
"That land there", he points,
"That was Jesse's."
We look and I consider
the bramble imprisoned by razor wire
and the story:
a day of hard words over cotton prices
followed by a night
filled with the sound of slaughtered pigs
and my great grandfather
Remembering Leonard Nimoy: A Rabbi's Eulogy
[Author's note: What follows is a portion of my eulogy at Leonard’s funeral on Sunday morning, March 1. He was married to my dear first cousin, Susan.]
New PBS Documentary Explores the Jewish Immigrant Experience in America
The Jewish Journey: America, a one-hour documentary by Grammy award-winning director Andrew Goldberg premieres on PBS March 3, 2015 (check local listings).
Ah, Democracy!
[In the dispute over the impurity of Achnai's oven, Rabbi Eliezer ruled that the oven was pure; all the other rabbis ruled the opposite.] Rabbi Eliezer said: "If the law is according to my view, let it be proven from heaven!" And a heavenly voice called out, "What is your quarrel wit
A Rabbi, a Priest, and a Mezuzah: A Story of Interfaith Friendship
I was saddened to hear the news this week of the passing of Father Theodore Hesburgh, former president of the University of Notre Dame.
Murder Darkens Our Home Field, So We Set Out the Chairs
We worked until almost midnight that Thursday, the 30 of us, all middle-aged softball players, arranging tables and chairs for the funeral of a man we didn’t know terribly well. But he had died so violently, in the face of such anger, that we couldn’t stay away.