Pope Francis’s recent visit affected more than his direct audiences (Congress, Catholics, the United Nations, and more) and more than our local school and road closures, it affected the perception of religious life. He did not preach to politicians, he spoke as much or more through his actions than his words, and he refused to be pegged as anyone other than he. For me, as…
I used to give five High Holy Day sermons annually when I worked as a congregational rabbi. I have been out of the pulpit almost as long as I was in it. At first, I missed the opportunity to think deeply about the issues affecting my community and the world and to speak to those issues. After a couple of years away from the pulpit,…
The world makes it hard enough to be a Jew. Lately, though, Jews are making it hard to be a Jew. On July 30, an ultra-orthodox Jewish man stabbed six people at the Jerusalem Pride Parade, killing teenage LGBT ally Shira Banki. On July 31, Jewish extremist settlers firebombed a Palestinian home and killed 18 month-old Ali Dawabsha while severely injuring his brother and parents.…
My son stayed up until 11:30 p.m. on July 4th to see the televised Philadelphia fireworks. 6ABC did that good a job with the hype hours before. He just knew he would see the letters U-S-A sparkling in the sky. Personally, I expected a Liberty Bell shape to burst over the Museum of Art. The Liberty Bell is a local and national symbol. It is…
Did you notice? This column has a new name and a new by-line. I thank Rabbi Eric M. Rosin for piloting this column and for nominating me to succeed him. The Jewish tradition has a funny way of making what is old new again. The political Zionists of the 19th century sought to create an altneuland (German for old-new land) and the modern city of…