Galilee Diary: Faith and Culture
And the Lord said, “If as one people with one language for all, this is how they have begun to act, then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach. Let us, then, go down and confound their speech there, so that they shall not understand one another’s speech. -Genesis 11:6-7
Tu BiShvat: Happy Birthday, You Beautiful Trees!
My commute to work every morning is not typical. I drive through the Roaring Fork Valley with majestic, now snow-covered, mountains on my left and my right. The sky is often a clear, bright blue, and the sun glimmers off the powdery snow that shifts in the wind. I am the cantor at the Aspen Jewish Congregation, and I certainly feel blessed to live and work in such a beautiful place. This quote from Isaiah is particularly fitting for this part of the country, as the people here are very in touch with the nature around them - often finding their spiritual center while skiing a run or hiking in the hills.
If You Will It
If the idea of Israel as imagined by American Jews sometimes seems like a fantasy that could not ever exist in reality, there is a reason for it. In many way, this country was founded as an impossible dream.
Exodus 1:1-6:1: Moses and the Challenge of Diversity
This week we dive into the second book of the Torah, Exodus. While the book of Genesis traversed thousands of years, Exodus focuses on the evolution of the Israelites as a people for 40 defining years.
Teens Connect to Judaism Through Justice
Hockey, Family, and Greed
It’s winter in Michigan. The cold weather has moved in, and sports traditions are firmly in place. The Detroit Lions are terrible (they set the NFL’s only negative perfect record of 0-16 in 2008). The Pistons will make the playoffs and lose in the first round.
What Is It About Israel?
After returning from Israel, the jetlag has come and gone but the memories remain.
Doing the Right Thing When It's Not Clear Which Thing is Right
The other day, a friend and I were talking about electric vehicles. He asserted that electric cars have a larger carbon footprint than gas vehicles. I told him he was nuts; the sheer scale of electric power generation vs. the internal combustion engine made the electric car a clear winner.
Forty Years After Roe v. Wade, We Still Are Not In The Promised Land
New Year's Eve lost some of its festivity for me after reading the New York Times reporting the reaction to a fatal rape and beating in Delhi, India.
Parashat Va-eira
Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: “Go and tell Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to let the Israelites depart from his land.” But Moses appealed to Adonai, saying: “The Isra