Interfaith Dialogue

June 2, 2020

Post 1 (of several to come) After George Floyd’s Killing

Post 1 today after George Floyd's killing. This one isn't the main point. More to come. I was thinking about the president’s posing with a Bible last night after his speech, as I said my brief morning prayers while wearing tefillin. Tefillin are leather boxes with little scrolls from the Torah inside them, attached to… Continue reading

Community Relations, Current Affairs, Interfaith Dialogue, Jewish Education, Justice, Leadership, Prayer, Rabbi, Spirituality, Tefillin, Theology, Torah, Tzedek, USA
January 20, 2020

For MLK Day 2020 — Letter From Birmingham Jail

Go to my post from a couple years ago, with links to the text and to a later reading of the letter from King himself. Simply the most important teaching about what it means to be religious that I think I have ever read: https://rabbijon.net/2018/01/15/mlks-letter-from-birmingham-jail/ Continue reading

Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Ethics, Freedom, History, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Peace, Prayer, Spirituality, Theology, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA
December 17, 2019

Embracing Chanukkah

This was my column in the December 2019 bulletin for Temple Beth Abraham: I love Chanukkah. I love the row of chanukkiot, the special menorahs, set up by the window for each member of the family. Just the simplicity of light and then a bit more light every day, with a bit of color, and… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Eight, Freedom, History, Holidays, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jerusalem, Jewish Education, USA
December 16, 2019

What to Call Us

A follow-up to my last post, which had mostly raw source links on the question of whether and how the categories of "religion" and/or "nation" apply to Jews. This is my sermon from last Shabbat: What to Call Us Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, History, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Justice, Leadership, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Vayishlach
December 13, 2019

What Are Jews?

A bad week for anti-Semitism in the U.S., wrapped around a controversy about anti-Semitism itself. There was the murder of Jews at a kosher market in Jersey City, which seems to be an anti-Semitic hate crime. The president of the United States, addressing the Israeli-American Council, threw in some gratuitous remarks about the Jews in… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, History, Holocaust, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Justice, Leadership, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Vayishlach
April 29, 2019

My Letter After Poway

This is the letter I wrote our congregation today. Dear Friends: Once again we are mourning and raging after an anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue over the weekend. Lori Gilbert Kaye was a dedicated member of Chabad of Poway, and she was killed as she tried to protect Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was injured. Almog… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Holocaust, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Justice, Leadership, Prayer, Shoah, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Yom Hashoah
March 26, 2019

AIPAC and Democrats This Week

Writing about AIPAC, on a day when seven Israelis were hurt by a missile shot indiscriminately toward Israeli cities by Hamas. Outraged, and praying for their healing. This week’s AIPAC Policy Conference is a gathering of about 18,000 people in Washington, DC. Many of the candidates for president on the Democratic side made a public… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, Gaza, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Leadership, Peace, USA
March 10, 2019

The Megillah, Rep. Omar, and Where We Go From Here

This post is based on the D'var Torah I gave at services on Saturday, March 9, 2019. I also plan another post with some thoughtful articles on the topic from other sources. I always set out extra books for services in addition to the Siddurim (prayerbooks), on the cart outside the Sanctuary and in the… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Esther, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Justice, Leadership, MLK Day, Peace, Pekudei, Purim, Rabbi, Temple Beth Abraham, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA
November 26, 2018

Chanukkah Is About Today

Each year in the Temple Beth Abraham bulletin I tend to write about the same thing at this time of year. This is as good as I've done so far in articulating why Chanukkah is important, and why it is important for American Jews at this holiday season. This is my December column: You’ve probably… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jerusalem, Money, Peace, Spirituality, Study, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Youth
November 26, 2018

Christmas Season Tips for Public Educators

Feel free to repost and forward this widely. I have a version of the exact same thing in a Word doc here as well. With Thanksgiving just behind us, the Christmas season seems already in full swing. Did you know that in New Hampshire, only 60% of adults identify as Christian? About 5-10% identify specifically… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Peace, Teacher-Student Relationship, Tikkun Olam, USA, Youth
November 4, 2018

After Pittsburgh: A Narrower Bridge, A Net Like Never Before

Here is my D'var Torah from Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, the Shabbat after the killings at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. You can read it or download it as a pdf file here. It is so good to be here together this morning. I know that it is a great comfort to our friends,… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Holocaust, Immigration, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, Peace, Rabbi, Shabbat, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Yom Hashoah
June 18, 2018

How to Use and Not Use Biblical Verses in Politics

This was my D'var Torah last Shabbat (June 16, 2018), in response to the back-and-forth between religious groups and Attorney General Jeff Sessions about what the Bible says about the policy of separating parents and children when families are suspected of crossing the U.S. border illegally. One afternoon a young yeshiva bocher, a student immersed… Continue reading

Bereshit, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Heschel, Immigration, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Justice, Leadership, Parashat Hashavua, Study, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, USA