Even the Cats Know it is Shabbat in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is overrun with stray cats. Most of the week, they hang out on sidewalks and hide under parked cars, but on Shabbat they lounge in the middle of the street, baking in their patches of sunlight, daring you to move them or for a car to disturb their well-deserved nap.
Reflections on Turkey
In 1972, Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath sent me to Florida to organize Jewish students protesting the Vietnam War at the 1972 Republican Convention in Miami. In 1989, my wife, my father and I travelled through China just a few months before Tiananmen Square.
"Stand Your Ground" Goes on Trial
A combination of "stand your ground" legislation and lax gun laws has led to startling increases in violence and homicides for the states that enact them. As George Zimmerman's trial date grows nearer, a reevaluation of these types of laws is severely needed.
The Torah In Haiku: Balak
Daughters of Moab
Led the people to worship
The Moabite gods
G-d became angry
Until Pinchas took action
More on that next week
Rabbis Organizing Rabbis Act for Immigration Reform in Ohio
Rabbis Organizing Rabbis, a group of activist clergy who mobilize those in their congregations and communities to action, has been fiercely advocating for federal comprehensive immigration reform over the past several months. Read Rabbi Rob Nosanchuk's remarks from a meeting with Senator Rob Portman (OH).
The Fourth of July: Not Just a Day Off
For many in the United States, the Fourth of July holiday brings to mind joyous times of gathering with friends and family, enjoying barbeques, fireworks, freedom (from work), and of course, sales.
Celebrating Our Journeys: My Spiritual Path to Reform Jewish Leadership
Gilda Radner once said, “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Judaism, Homosexuality, and the Supreme Court
Any moment now, the United States Supreme Court is going to decide on two cases that involve same-sex marriage. Advocates on both sides of this issue are anxiously awaiting either a moment of celebration or of despair. Of course, it is possible that they will get neither.
On Yesterday's Grief and Today's Rejoicing
What a rollercoaster of a week. Yesterday the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act.