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Truths You Can Use

Protecting our planet is not just a scientific or political issue. It is a religious, spiritual imperative. We find this truth embodied in three core Jewish values.  1. The first is captured in the Hebrew phrase l’dor v’dor: the imperative that we pass on our earth “from generation to generation.” This imperative goes back all the…

Running the Boston Marathon is a dream of mine. It’s the nation’s oldest marathon, a symbol of endurance in the city of American freedom. Yesterday terrorists turned that symbol and city it into a day of desperation and death. We know how to cope with tragedy. We survived 9/11. But that truth does not help…

The standard Jewish toast is L’Chayim, to life! Yet, during its last 65 years, the Jewish state of Israel has experienced a disproportinate share of death. 25,578 people have died as a result of war and terrorism. This fact headlines the newspapers today in Israel. It is Yom HaZikaron, Memorial Day, where fallen soldiers are…

Every Israeli secretly wants to be Indiana Jones. Archaelogy is the national  pastime in Israel. Yet, archaeologists and their discoveries often find themselves at odd with traditional Jews. Their finding put into questions foundational parts of faith like the accuracy of the Exodus from Egypt, and the details of the life of Abraham. Putting aside…

Certain parts of the Bible are easy to appreciate. We know we should not murder, steal or commit adulerty. We know why we should try to love our neighbors as ourselves. Even if we struggle to follow these types of laws, we know they matter today. Yet, certain other parts seem irrelevant. Difficult biblical passages…

I recently visited an astounding site in Israel. It is the ongoing reconstruction and uncovering of the oldest part of the city of Jerusalem, known as the “City of David.” It is the tiny strip of 15 acres on top of a hill where King David built his palace. Other Israelites lived in the area,…

This evening begins a modern Jewish holiday. It is not a holiday of celebration. It is one of memory. We remember the six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. What did not die, however, is hope. The Holocaust exemplified the enormous evil humans can inflict one another. We must not be blind to…

Nearly three years ago the world witnessed a seminal moment in American Jewish history. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of an American President and a Secretary of State, married Jewish American Marc Mezvinsky, who was clad in atallis (Jewish prayer shawl) and yamakah (traditional headcovering). A rabbi officiated along with a minister. The wedding unabashedly embraced Jewish marriage symbols, and even…

A remarkable new survey was released just before President Obama’s visit to Israel. According to the poll,Americans heavily favor the Israelis over the Palestinians, 64 percent vs. 12 percent. This is the highest percentage of support for Israel since the Gulf War in 1991. Israel retains support across age demographics and political affilation, though Republicans…

A diverse group of pastors and parishioners now stand in front of the Supreme Court. They claim to know the same God. They also hold radically different views on the kind of relationships that God approves. This situation resembles the one President Abraham Lincoln described in his celebrated second inaugural address. Discussing the different views…
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