Tag: Palestine
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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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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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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…
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Open Closed Open
Those of you on Facebook understand Facebook memories, when the social media site selects a posting from the past to remind you of what you posted on that day in years past. Recently Facebook has been reminding me of my trip to Israel l took a year ago at this time. It was a trip…
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Noah and Small Injustices
This Shabbat we turned to the story of Noah, and small injustices. The story of Noah and the flood is perhaps known to us. It is a story that is told to us as children and a story that is a part of the popular imagination. (And recently was a major motion picture.) God, dissatisfied with…
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Is This What Sinat Chinam Looks Like?
It was at the end of my time away, which included a spiritual retreat and vacation time with my extended family, that I opened up my email to get caught up, only to learn that our building has been once again targeted by graffiti. Someone had scrawled “Free Palestine!” on one of the large columns…
Rabbi 360 