Purim: What’s at Stake

Today is Ta’anit Ester, a half-day fast in solidarity with the biblical Esther who orchestrated a three-day hunger strike to boost her chance of success in approaching the king without having been summoned, potentially a capital offense.

read more

Outrage. Sorrow. Resolve.

My recent posts...outrage sorrow resolve let not the desire for deserved retribution the justified outrage over evil and lies overwhelm our deep sorrow and our deeper resolve for our resolve deepened and hardened by our sorrow is stronger than lies and evil...

read more

Release, Return

My recent posts...Release. Return. מִמַּעֲמַקִּים קְרָאתִיךָ יי (mima’amakim k'raticha adonai) From the depths, from the depths of our souls, Adonai, we call to You: we pray for healing the minds and hearts of those newly released from sadistic confinement. we pray...

read more

Too Late So Early

My recent posts...I Sang "Damn" in Church On Monday night, I sang the word “damn” in Asbury United Methodist Church in Atlantic City. The annual community Thanksgiving interfaith service, postponed a week due to a power outage in Atlantic City, was attended by seven...

read more

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!

read more

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...

read more

9th of Av | tish’a b’av

My recent posts...9th of Av | tish'a b'av We Jews keep reliving our history through festivals and commemorations. Some of those are more enjoyable than others; the full complement, including the fast day of tish'a b'av, adds rich meaning to our lives and connects us...

read more