Tag: Israel
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“Blood Pollutes the Land”
As you can see from the reference to last week’s Torah portion, I wrote this to my congregation last week and forgot to post here. I now have a Substack as well and want to invite you to subscribe to me there as I figure things out! “Blood pollutes the land.” (Numbers 35:33) is a…
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After the Killings in DC
By now you have probably learned about the attack in Washington DC in which Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two employees of the Israeli embassy, were murdered by a gunman outside the Capital Jewish Museum where they were attending an evening for young professionals. Information continues to emerge; there is video of the gunman inside…
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A Prayer for the Jewish People
May the One who blessed our ancestorsAbraham and SarahIsaac and RebekahJacob and Rachel and LeahBilhah and ZilpahMoses, Aaron and MiriamDavid and SolomonRuth and Esther,Bless us Am YisraelThe Jewish people[here in this community and]Wherever they reside. Bless this nation ofGod-wrestlers.Bless this nation ofRabbis and rulersPoets and prophetsScribes and scholarsWoodchoppers and waterdrawers. Bless this nation thatFled from the…
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Our Pain Threshold
The thing about redheads is that we have a lower threshold for pain. Growing up, though I was not as brightly redheaded as others, people remarked about my “strawberry blond” hair, especially compared to my darker-haired parents and sister. It was a trait I inherited through my mother’s mother’s line. As I got older, my…
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Joy, Grief, and the Road Ahead
With the news of the impending ceasefire and hostage deal announced Wednesday, the tragedy that has befallen Israel and Palestine since October 7, 2023 has hopefully come to an end. As the Israeli cabinet has most recently approved the deal, many have confidence that we are on the path to ending this war. I know…
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7 Thoughts Since October 7 (Erev Rosh Hashanah 5785)
This was a hard sermon to give, primarily because of all anger and pain and fear wrapped up with what is happening in Israel and Gaza and the region. This is less a coherent and comprehensive statement than a collection of thoughts, a cumulation of things I have been reflecting on in the past year.…
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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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The Real Lesson of the Olympia Food Co-op Boycott Lawsuit (Hint: It’s Not About Israel/Palestine)
Without much fanfare, the lawsuit against the Olympia Food Co-op regarding the boycott of Israeli products has seemingly come to a close. Two weeks ago, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy dismissed the suit, finding no injury on the part of the plaintiffs. The suit has gone on for a long time, with motions…
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Shimon Peres z”l
Right before our Advancing in Hebrew class this past Tuesday night did I see the news that Shimon Peres, a giant in the history of Israel, passed away. Peres was Israel’s senior statesman who emigrated from Poland with his family during the British Mandate, helped build the state alongside David Ben-Gurion, served in many senior…
Rabbi 360 