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Destruction and Conflict: Then and Now (for Tisha B’Av)
In a few days, the Jewish community will mark Tisha B’Av (“the ninth of Av”), a day on our calendar of mourning and commemoration. The historic events at the center of the observance is the destruction of the First Temple at the hands of the Babylonians in 586 BCE and the Second Temple at the…
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Earthrise and Earth-wise
You are probably familiar with the famous photo “Earthrise,” taken in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission to orbit the moon: The photographer of that image, astronaut William Anders, died recently when the small plane he was piloting crashed in the water near the San Juan Islands. While I had seen the photo many times,…
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“Thus Shall the People Be Blessed”: An Ancient Prayer for Today
Ironically there is not much by way of prayer in the Torah. The Israelites cry out to God for liberation; Moses prays for the healing of his sister Miriam. And in this week’s portion of Naso we have the Priestly Blessing, the three-line blessing that the ancient priests would recite over the people. It is…
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Finding Albert Johnson
A century ago today, one of the most restrictive immigration measures in US history was signed into law. The bill, known formally as the Immigration Act of 1924 but also as the Johnson-Reed Act, closed the door to immigration for all Asians, and instituted a quota system that severely limited immigration from Central and Eastern…
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In Adam’s Line
When we look for a focal point of ethical teaching in the Torah, we don’t need to look much further than Leviticus 19, a section of the Torah known as the Holiness Code that is found in this week’s Torah portion Kedoshim. In it God says, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,” and…
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Is This Passover Different From All Other Passovers?
As we move into Passover this coming week, our attention will naturally turn to the events in Israel and Gaza. Indeed, this has been our reality as we have moved into any Jewish celebration or space over these past six months—each holiday, each gathering feels overshadowed by the horrible events happening thousands of miles away.…
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An Urgent Prayer for the Protection of Human Life
With hearts broken over the ongoing violence in Gaza, especially with the news this week of the most recent killing of humanitarian aid workers, my friend and hevruta Rabbi Andy Vogel and I used our weekly study time to collaborate and compose this prayer for the moment. I plan to share it with my community,…
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“Joining Redemptions is Preferred”
How does our calendar hint at our redemptive future? Hold on for some technical information and Talmudic argument before we get to the end. This week we welcoming in the new month of Adar II–the special month we add to our calendar during a leap year. Yes, this year in the Jewish calendar is also…
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Judaism and Human Composting: Values, Opportunities, and Questions
When my state became the first in the nation to legalize “human composting,” I was approached by members of my community who wanted to choose this for their disposition after death. This set me down a course of research and study, reflection and writing about how we can approach this new technology through a Jewish…
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Rabbi 360 