Equality

April 7, 2025

A Year of Jewish Ethics #14: Labor Justice, Part 1

The Jewish perspective on the responsibilities of employers reflects the story of our oppression in Egypt, shi’ibud mitzrayim. That oppression began as forced labor, and when the Torah teaches about wage workers, it often uses the same words that it uses to describe slavery. Jewish law recognizes the inherent dynamic between the one who pays… Continue reading

A Year of Jewish Ethics, Equality, Ethics, Exodus, Halacha, Justice, Middot, Power, Torah, Tzedek, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
March 17, 2025

Another Week Back in College

I'm catching up on the whole week, after preparing for and celebrating Purim…. The week's notes in Lit and Arts were a lot about the successors of Charlemagne, and the disjuncture between the disintegration of their authority and their realm, and their self-representation in Christian books and architecture as Christ's designated earthly power. As I… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Art, Equality, Freedom, History, Inclusion, Israel, Jewish Education, Justice, Power, Study, Tzedek, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
January 2, 2025

College: Wrapping Up “Justice”

For much of Justice, certainly the last many weeks of the course while I was a freshman, my main interest was finding a good philosophical justification for distributive justice. Both of my papers were critiques of libertarianism, attempts to buttress the politics I had (and have). The choices in the class were between a Rawslian… Continue reading

College, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Freedom, Money, Tzedek, USA
December 19, 2024

A Year of Jewish Ethics #6: Ownership

In chapter 23 of Bereshit Sarah dies and in order to bury her, Avraham makes his first purchase of land. Burial is such an important mitzvah, and it’s important that a mitzvah becomes the context for the first purchase recorded in the Torah. What does this teach us about a Jewish ethic of ownership? Avraham… Continue reading

A Year of Jewish Ethics, Chayei Sarah, Equality, Ethics, Parashat Hashavua, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
November 4, 2024

Back to College: The Self in Psychology and Philosophy

I’m noticing in my first semester of college review that I first learned two aspects of the same things at the same time. In developmental psychology, it was humanistic psychology, of the Lewin-Maslow varieties. It’s exciting to see in my notebook a half-page with my first encounter with “hierarchy of needs”, “self-actualization”, and “peak experiences.”… Continue reading

College, Education, Equality, Ethics, Psychology, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
September 24, 2024

Back to College #2: Utilitarianism; Gender and Psychological Theory

Looking at my notes from "Justice" and Psychology today — it's neat for me to see where the terms consequentialism and utlitarianism first entered my mental landscape. Professor Sandel did a nice job (and I did a good job in my notes) capturing both the simplicity of Bentham's theory and the nuance of Mill's revisions of it,… Continue reading

College, Equality, Ethics, Feminism, Gender, Inclusion, Justice, Middot, Psychology, Young Jewish Adult
September 24, 2024

Back to College #2: Utilitarianism; Gender and Psychological Theory

Looking at my notes from "Justice" and Psychology today — it's neat for me to see where the terms consequentialism and utlitarianism first entered my mental landscape. Professor Sandel did a nice job (and I did a good job in my notes) capturing both the simplicity of Bentham's theory and the nuance of Mill's revisions of it,… Continue reading

College, Equality, Ethics, Feminism, Gender, Inclusion, Justice, Middot, Psychology, Young Jewish Adult
June 27, 2024

The Grape Cluster and the Two Who Carry It: A D’var Torah for Pride

This is the D’var Torah I gave for Pride Shabbat 5781/2021, for Parashat Sh’lach L’cha (Numbers 13:1-15:41). I love this parasha about the scouts, the m’raglim, and the fact that the Torah is so brutally honest about how hard it is to go forward even to a land of milk and honey, even when the… Continue reading

Calendar, Conservative Judaism, Current Affairs, Education, Equality, Friendship, GLBT, Gratitude, Hakarat Hatov, Inclusion, Jewish Education, Justice, LGBTQ+, Parashat Hashavua, Sh’lach L’cha, Teens, Teshuvah, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
May 16, 2024

An Invitation From a Zionist to Non- or Anti-Zionists: Talk to Me

For the non-Zionists or anti-Zionist in my circle, a sincere set of questions from a Zionist. I’m actually looking to understand where you are coming from, so these aren’t gotcha questions. I’ve been working on this for a week or more, but held off posting so as not to intrude on people’s marking Yom Hazikkaron,… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Freedom, Gaza, History, Holocaust, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Justice, Peace, Speech Ethics, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Yom Haatzmaut, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
December 7, 2023

Serious Chanukkah: Cultural Integration, Freedom, War and Power Then and Now

I love Purim and Chanukkah. It’s true that these are not the major Jewish chagim, and not in some sense as important as Passover/Pesach. But I have come to love them more and more because they are set in worlds I recognize as more contemporary than the major festivals. Their stories have more texture… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Freedom, Gaza, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jerusalem, Justice, Leadership, Power, Talmud, Young Jewish Adult, Youth
September 29, 2023

Affordable Housing: A Sukkot Reflection and Charge

This is my D'var Torah for the first day of Sukkot 5784 and Shabbat, September 30, 2023. Sukkot is actually the third part of the High Holy Days. It’s not just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Sukkot is the zany but nuanced third festival of our kickoff month of Tishrei. And Sukkot is specifically… Continue reading

Calendar, Current Affairs, Election, Environment, Equality, Ethics, Exodus, Food, High Holidays, Holidays, Housing, Justice, Leadership, Shabbat, Sukkot, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA, Yamim Noraim
July 3, 2023

My American Tale — What’s Yours? (Or, Why Is Yaz on Masada?)

This is the D’var Torah I gave for Parshiyyot Chukkat-Balak 5783, July 1, 2023. This is a picture of me at the age of 17 on top of Masada in Israel, wearing a baseball cap that says “YAZ”. I remember asking someone to take this… Continue reading

#integratingamerica, Balak, Calendar, Chukkat, Current Affairs, Equality, Ethics, Freedom, History, Holidays, Immigration, Israel, Jerusalem, Parashat Hashavua, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult