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Testimony against Payday Lending (SB 5899)
For the last time this session, I made my way to the Capitol to testify on a bill. When I go, I am there usually at the behest of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, an umbrella Jewish organization, and the Faith Action Network, a statewide interfaith organization which works on issues of social justice.…
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I’m Going to Jerusalem. And Ramallah.
In one of his last gestures before leaving his position as Government Affairs director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, my friend Zach Carstensen put in my name for a trip run through a program called “Interfaith Partners for Peace.” The idea behind the trip is to pair up rabbis and ministers from the…
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Enriching us all
Originally posted on A Rabbi and a Pastor Walk into a Bar…: What does this composter have to do with our conversation on class at the pub this past week? As I was heading home I saw it sitting out on the curb by a neighbor’s house, offered up, as many things are when left out on…
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The Jewish Case for Daylight Saving Time
See my most recent blog post on the Rabbis Without Borders blog on My Jewish Learning: The Jewish Case for Daylight Saving Time
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Some Purim (Madlib) Torah, and a pie video
A highlight each year at our Temple Beth Hatfiloh Purim celebration is the Mad-lib sermon, a “d’var Torah” I share created with the help of those assembled. I learned of the idea from by friend Rabbi Moti Rieber, and it is a lot of fun. Here is this year’s product, and perhaps there is some…
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Purim’s Four Rules of Life
Purim begins tomorrow night, and his the holiday that celebrates the events of the biblical book of Esther. The Persian Jewish community lives under King Ahasuerus, and eventually comes under threat from the king’s adviser Haman who issues a decree to kill the Jews. Esther, who at this time has become the Queen, risks her…
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On the Backs of Those Who Most Need Our Help
I spent today at the Capitol with over 200 other members of faith communities from across the state to participate in Interfaith Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Faith Action Network. It was a day of learning, of inspiration and action. Connected to the work we did today is this piece I wrote for the Jewish…
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Philip Levine: An Appreciation
Those who attend the services I lead know I incorporate a lot of poetry into worship. On the High Holidays I punctuate each service with poems, and each Friday evening, between Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv, I read a poem–without commentary– as a kavannah (intention) for that Shabbat. The poem is drawn from the vast world…
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Taking Another Step to Reducing Gun Violence: My Testimony on HB 1857
Here is the scenario: you discover a loved one who has struggled with mental illness recently purchased a gun. What do you do to prevent him from harming himself or others? As of now in Washington, there is no measure that can be taken to legally remove the gun from that person. But a bill…
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