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Nachshon Moments, on Land as on Sea
The Israelites are on the move in this week’s Torah portion, Beha’alotcha, as they pick up their journey through the Wilderness to the Promised Land. It is quite a logistical ordeal, moving that many people along with all of their belongings, not to mention all of the communal property, primarily the Tabernacle, their central sanctuary…
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Today, I Mourn…
In the wake of the shootings in Orlando, several groups in Olympia joined together to sponsor a vigil Sunday night. Earlier in the day I was invited to share some remarks at the evening’s vigil, and I prepared some words not knowing what format the vigil would take. That evening in Sylvester Park the space was…
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Collaboration + Compassion = Wisdom
Earlier this past week I was back east to attend the board meeting of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, my professional organization. I serve as the 1st Vice President, having been elected to that position by my peers this past March after serving a few years on the Board in other capacities. We meet in Philadelphia…
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What is Your Foundation?
When I first moved to Olympia, I had a bit of a rude awakening. In fact, the rude awakening came before I even moved to town. As my family and I were packing up in Philadelphia, I got a call from a contractor in Olympia to tell me that a backhoe had hit my house.…
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Funding Innovation is Nice. Now Let’s Redistribute Wealth.
My latest on the Rabbis Without Borders blog, in which I address issues of inequality within the Jewish community, not among Jews, but among Jewish institutions. Differing access to resources can result in what Jews have access to. Can’t we make it so everyone benefits from what the Jewish community has to offer? Funding Innovation…
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Over the Hump
Today is the minor holiday of Lag B’Omer, the 33rd Day of the Omer, the seven week period that spans the weeks between Passover and Shavuot. There are a few associations for this holiday. One is that it is the traditional yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a Talmudic rabbi known for his deep knowledge…
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Being Inspiring and Being Inspired
Earlier this week I had the distinct honor to be named one of America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis, by the national independent Jewish newspaper the Forward. The Forward, one of the oldest Jewish publications in the country, is so well respected that it was of particular note when I along with 31 of my colleagues from…
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Open Closed Open
Those of you on Facebook understand Facebook memories, when the social media site selects a posting from the past to remind you of what you posted on that day in years past. Recently Facebook has been reminding me of my trip to Israel l took a year ago at this time. It was a trip…
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Carpooling with Rabbi
Recently our Community Engagement Coordinator Kirsten moved to a new house, just a few blocks from my son’s school. I would need to pass by on my way to the synagogue after I did morning school dropoff, so I offered to give her a ride. Now you can come with. We’ve always have great conversations…
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Rabbi 360 