Amending the Law By Rabbi Neil For a society to be functional and cohesive, it needs rules and laws. Yet if the rules are static, progress, whether economic, social, or Continue Reading »
Blessings and Curses It seems to me that we’re coming to terms with the “new normal.” When schools, synagogues, and businesses first closed, we thought we were just doing deep Continue Reading »
“Thus Conscience Does Make Cowards Of Us All” “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” but I’m not feeling the humor. In fact, while I’m normally optimistic, I’m not feeling Continue Reading »
Black Lives Matter and the Myth of Monolithism We live in disturbing times. To add to our dismay, it’s hard to receive unadulterated information. If an event happens and we Continue Reading »
One of our oldest teachings says, “Pray for the welfare of the government, for if not for the fear of it, people would eat each other alive” (Pirkei Avot 3:2). Continue Reading »
If only “Never Again” could apply to all forms of discrimination. After suffering from violence and discrimination for what seems like eons, the Jewish people formulated the phrase “Never Again” Continue Reading »
What does it mean to be Jewish? I must admit that when I heard the news of Little Richard’s death on May 9th, I was not so moved. He was Continue Reading »
Lessons on Gratitude from Rabbi Shimon Every year Lag B’Omer is a light and festive holiday, usually celebrated with picnics in a park, bonfires, and songs. This year we can’t Continue Reading »
Creating a New Future Last week’s Torah reading might have sounded familiar, for it’s the same text that we read every year on Yom Kippur. The High Priest brings a Continue Reading »
What’s Corona-Virus’s Message for Us? This past week’s Torah reading of Tazria and Metzorah run high on the “least favorite parshiot of the year” list. They talk in detail about Continue Reading »