Sukkot and Food Day: A Time for Earthly Intentions
The Jewish Holiday season is in full swing. We have celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the day of repentence, and now we are rounding the corner to Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Jewish tradition asks us for introspection and reflection during this season.
My Dream Ushpizin (Guests of Honor) This Sukkot
It’s been a particularly great year for Jews in pop culture, and I’d be honored to celebrate the fall harvest with some of them.
Remembering our Impermanence: Sukkot and Congress' Continuing Resolution
“All citizens of Israel shall live in booths, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelite people live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42).
Why Leaders Shouldn't Aspire to Run Congregations Like Businesses
Even our most sophisticated business leaders are forced to shift their perspectives and approaches in order to run a congregation “the right way.”
Bob Dylan: Songwriter of the Soul
This week, musician Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for ushering in a new era of poetic songwriting, blending strains of poetry, philosophy, and theology.
The Courts May Offer a Path to Change Offensive Trademark Names and Mascots
Despite having been banned by the NCAA in 2007, the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign’s former mascot, “Chief Illiniwek,” still held significant relevance when I moved to campus four years later.
The Torah In Haiku: Ha'azinu
Martin Luther King
Inspired by this week's portion
In his final speech
No One Should Live in a Sukkah Year-Round
As we celebrate Sukkot—when we contemplate fragility, shelter, and resilience—let us remember the people of Haiti, who have endured unimaginable destruction from Hurricane Matthew.
We Need to Be Reminded of Life on the Edge
As we celebrate Sukkot this year, our world is experiencing a fierce progression of refugees and migrants who are wandering and homeless, nationless, and destitute, encased in fear and uncertainty, fleeing the ills of civil war, natural disaster, poverty, and political insurrection. Indeed, for massive numbers of people in our world, wandering and the impermanence of temporary shelter are all they have.
Being Different Is What Being Human Is All About
As we welcome guests this Sukkot, the sole label we should place on each other is an inclusive one: we are individuals with diverse needs.