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To Give is To Receive
The blintzes are back! This year, after a year’s hiatus Blintzapalooza returns. Blintzapalooza is one of Temple Beth Hatfiloh hallmark events, the Sunday in March when we open up our doors and welcome in the community to eat blintzes and bagels, buy used books, participate in a Jewish cooking contest and support local charitable organizations.…
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Where Are You @?
Yesterday was my scheduled monthly contribution to the Rabbis Without Borders blog on My Jewish Learning. Here is my post: Where Are You @?
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Could This One Text Message Have Saved the Lives of 3000 People?
The story of the Golden Calf, which we read in last week’s Torah portion, is a great lesson in punctuality. In the story, the Israelites have left Egypt and have made their way to Mount Sinai. There they are to get the Torah from God which will form the basis for their new community and…
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Can You Teach an Old Calf New Tricks?
This week’s Torah portion Ki Tissa tells the famous story of the Golden Calf. The Israelites, having escaped Egyptian slavery, are encamped around Mount Sinai. Moses is up on the summit receiving the Torah from God. When he is late in coming down the mountain, the Israelites begin to worry and ask Aaron, Moses’s brother…
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Creating Holy Space by Turning to Each Other
A few weeks ago I attended the 40-Hour Professional Mediation Training sponsored by the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County. The training was an intensive practicum in mediation, and we learned the formal technique of a mediation, which follows a proscribed formula and agenda in order to hopefully lead to a constructive resolution of a…
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My Podcast Debut: Olympia Pop Rocks
Recently I had a great time visiting with Jemmy Joe and Guire McGuire on their local podcast Olympia Pop Rocks. Its a great podcast in which they interview local figures in arts, culture, social justice, etc., and was honored that they invited me to be on their show. The conversation was free-wheeling, and we talked…
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Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary, and I Will Change the Toilet Paper
This week’s Torah portion, Terumah, is the Torah portion that launched a thousand capital campaigns. Having transmitted the 10 commandments and other laws to Moses—the laws that will frame the covenant and give new organization and meaning to the newly liberated Israelites—God tells Moses to build a sanctuary, a tabernacle, that will serve as a…
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Should Jews Vote for Bernie?
Following up on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ win in the New Hampshire primary, here are some musings for the Rabbis Without Borders blog: Should Jews Vote for Bernie?
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We Must Do Something, Even if We Can’t Do Everything
As the legislative session begins here in Washington, I had the first opportunity to offer testimony on pending legislation. As part of my commitment to social justice, I find the opportunity to use the clergy voice to bear on legislation to be very important. Oftentimes to affect social change we need to work through our…
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