My recent posts…

Parshat Lech-Lecha 5785

We make assumptions about others based on what we see: what they wear, what they drive, their work, past-times… And we project upon the other who passes our superficial entrance exam what we want them to be — i.e., more like us!

Yom Kippur Singing

My recent posts...Over the decades, I have composed melodies for some of the texts we use in our prayer services. (I've written English interpretations of the texts for a few of them.) Some of them are posted here so we can sing them together at Shirat Hayam and, even...

Letters

Jun 3, 2022 | A Rabbi Writes

Letters…

To the Editor:
…about assault weapons, have I been missing something? Such as accounts of civilians bearing AK-47s who thwarted criminal activity, prevented home invasions, chased away drug dealers, and the like. For mass murderers, they’re the weapon of choice. Who else needs one?…

To the Editor:
Recently, Janice McGeachin, the lieutenant governor of Idaho, got nearly a third of the Republican gubernatorial primary votes. In March, it was reported that she told an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, “God calls us to pick up the sword and fight, and Christ will reign in the state of Idaho.” Constitution anyone?

To the Editor:
States seek to constrain certain discussion topics in schools for fear of damaging the self esteem of young students. If hard thinking is banned from the classroom, will teachers simply post on the board the answers to tests?…

To the Editor:
How do I explain school shootings to my grandchildren, ages ten, seven, foור? How do I talk to them about derangement without coupling it with the obscene number of murderous weapons legally purchased in these United States? What do I tell them is gained by killing children, by killing…anyone!?

To the Editor:
Pity the progressive. What avenues are available for disgruntled progressives to express their rage at the myriad wrongs they perceive, or to incite a riot for, say, a stronger social safety net? Obviously, they can’t kill children! What to do? Stage an unauthorized release of butterflies on school property? Persuade a classroom of fourth-graders to all wear zebra-dolphin pajamas to school one day and post it on social media?

Yours truly…

Shabbat shalom and chag sameiach ! שבת שלום וחג שמח