Category: Uncategorized
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“Thank you for the simple egg”: An invocation at the Washington State Legislature
On April 20, 2017 I delivered the following invocation in the Washington State House of Representatives: Source of All Life and Blessing, thank you for this season. We as a human family are witnessing the awakening of our world, as nature comes alive once again in spring. We delight in the buds on the trees,…
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For Passover and the Exodus, think Rivers not Seas
This column first appeared in the Rabbis Without Borders blog on My Jewish Learning. You can read the original post here. It’s spring break in our school district, so we are taking a road trip. We left our home in Olympia on the Puget Sound and drove to Boise, ID, where we have family. We…
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Creating a Progressive, Inclusive, Egalitarian Jewish People: My Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association Presidential Address
On March 28, 2017, I was honored to be elected President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association at our biennial convention in Portland, OR. These are the remarks I delivered that evening at our Presidential Dinner. Thank you. I will admit that when I agreed to accept this position, I only did so because I thought…
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Let Us Make Them a Sanctuary
One of the quirky aspects of the text of the Torah is how much parchment is dedicated to a description of the ancient Tabernacle. A portable structure that is to be built and carried around by the Israelites, the Tabernacle is described in rich detail twice. The first description is the plans—God telling Moses what…
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Purim: The First International Women’s Day
This post was originally posted on Wednesday as part of my monthly contribution to the Rabbis Without Borders blog. You can click here to read it in its original setting .Today is International Women’s Day, and we have a confluence, as we sometimes do, between secular observances and our Jewish calendar. For just three days…
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Carpooling with Rabbi: “SBNR”
We are back for our 3rd season of Carpooling with Rabbi! In this episode, Kirsten and I discuss what it mans to be spiritual but not religious, and I may or may not break out singing a little Alanis Morissette:
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On the Anniversary of Moses’s Death, We Can Prepare for Ours
The Jewish month of Adar is known primarily for the celebration of Purim. This holiday, recognizing the events of the biblical book of Esther in which Esther was able to save the Persian Jewish population from destruction at the hands of Haman, is marked by fun and games and a lighthearted tone. It falls on…
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Watching Out for the Ox That Gores
In this week’s Torah portion of Mishpatim we continue the theme of last week’s: the revelation at Sinai. Having journeyed out of Egyptian slavery, the Israelites are now at Mount Sinai where Moses is to receive the laws. Mishpatim means “laws” and the portion is a collection of different laws and practices that we are…
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Torah tl;dr: “Yitro”
The 11th Commandment is peace. Listen to the newest episode of my podcast here: 60 SECONDS TO WISDOM. Short teachings on the weekly Torah portion. Suitable for all who seek.
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