Blog

Our nation has experienced the trauma of the impeachment of the President of the United States. As I have come to learn, trauma takes many forms, and its duration can vary from victim to victim. What we so badly need as a nation right now is courageous, moral leadership to help us heal. Where will that come from?  With no clear answer in sight, I return yet again to Psalm 121:

     I turn my eyes to the heavens;...Read more...

If ever there was an American during my lifetime who filled the role of the ancient Israelite prophets, it was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He regularly quoted the Biblical prophets, and chastised us all of the inequalities in America, the promises unfulfilled, the suffering of his people. He was not merely a speaker, but a doer. Dr. King knew that his words would ring hollow if not supported by his...Read more...

You most likely have heard me speak of, or write about the H word. It remains a foundation to the violence that it creates. Many would think of the spate of anti-Semitic violence in the Greater New York area as the answer to the question of “how’s that going for you?”. The news that is reported to us on a daily basis reflects a profound imbalance towards violence. Television stations believe that is all we want to see and know. I say...Read more...

I was originally writing about how saddened I was to welcome Honolulu and Pensacola to the ever-expanding club to which no one should belong. Then came Jersey City. Every time a massacre occurs, I feel thrust back into my own personal version of the movie Groundhog Day. I try to stay informed of news on a regular basis, but when I tuned in, and saw emergency vehicles and first responders, it brought me back to 10.27. Alas, it does every time....Read more...

Jewish tradition teaches us that even the poorest person in the town was expected to give tzedakah, because there is likely someone ever poorer nearby. It is easy to let the difficult things in life overwhelm the good.  Whether it be illness, financial stress, employment or lack of employment issues, family struggles, or lack of food, the challenges that we face can obscure the good that is in our lives. When we let that happen, it can...Read more...