This just in on the AP wires:
A convicted scam artist was able to pull off a lavish bar mitzvah for his son featuring kosher catered food and more than 60 guests at a New York City jail.
His accomplices apparently were jail employees, including a chaplain. A Correction Department spokesman confirmed that five staff members were [...]
Archive for the ‘Religion’ Category
Today I am a Man, Tomorrow My Dad Goes Into Solitary Confinement…
Posted in Judaism, Religion on June 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Power of the Word
Posted in Iran, Islam, Israel, Palestine, Peace, Politics, Politics/Middle East, Religion on June 5, 2009 | 4 Comments »
I’m going to step back from my regularly scheduled cynicism and simply savor the profound and deeply inspiring message that Obama offered the world today. Yes, he is a politician, and yes, every word was carefully calibrated with political implications, but my God, what a tremendous blessing to have an American President who would end [...]
Shavuot Gifts for You
Posted in Food, Religion, Shavuot, Spirituality on May 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
In case you aren’t able to make it to shul for Shavuot (Thursday night through Sunday night), here are some video gifts to help you honor the holiday:
Click above to hear the great Reb Zalman Schachter Shalomi read and comment on The Book of Ruth. Sublime. You can find the entire [...]
Holdin’ Down the Line for Hashem
Posted in Judaism, Religion, Sports on May 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
You may have seen this one making the rounds lately: former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman (and Super Bowl champion) Alan Veingrad became Ba’al Teshuvah and is living the life of a seriously observant Jew. (Love the sportscaster’s patter at the end: “he studies, he prays, the whole nine yards…”)
Actually, given the [...]
Rabbis Remembering the Nakba
Posted in Coexistence, Israel, Palestine, Refugees, Religion, Zionism on May 17, 2009 | 19 Comments »
“These I remember and I pour out my soul…”
Last Thursday night I welcomed 14 people – 9 Jews and 5 Palestinians – into my home for what turned out to be a powerful and sacred experience. The timing of our gathering was significant. May 14, 1948, the date of the State of Israel was declared, [...]
More Greening in the News
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Environmentalism, Fair Trade, Global Warming, Green Buildings, Religion on May 4, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Just in time for spring, some spiritual greening news for you:
The AP did up a nice piece about religious environmental efforts that featured JRC. It was picked up by a number of news outlets, inluding the Washington Post.
And check out this trailer for a documentary commissioned by Chicago magazine that spotlights six local green efforts, [...]
Passover Awakening
Posted in Judaism, Pesach, Religion, Spirituality on April 15, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Some final Pesach thoughts: a pic, above, from my front garden and a Passover reading from Kol Haneshamah, the Reconstructionist siddur:
Once we were slaves; now we are free.
On this festival of freedom, we celebrate liberation’s redemptive power:
- the awakening of the earth after winter’s dormancy and the first fragile shoots of green thrusting forth from [...]
Here Comes the Sun…
Posted in Environmentalism, Judaism, Religion on March 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A little-known Jewish ritual is about to make a grand entrance: Birkat Hachama (”Blessing of the Sun”) – which is observed only once every 28 years – will come around on Wednesday, April 8.
Didn’t know about this one? Well get ready because the Jewish world is starting to get sun stroke. (Here at JRC we’re [...]
Gaza: Soldiers Are Speaking Out
Posted in Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine, Religion, War on March 20, 2009 | 7 Comments »
Once permission has been given to the destroyer to do harm, it does not discriminate between the guilty and the innocent. (Mechilta, Bo)
Today the NY Times reported on an issue that has gripped the Israeli press and public for some time now:
In the two months since Israel ended its military assault on Gaza…testimony is emerging from within [...]
Green Mosque, Green Shul
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Environmentalism, Green Buildings, Islam, Judaism, Religion on March 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s a nice piece that ran on Chicago’s ABC affiliate last January: a feature on JRC’s green building as well as a local mosque that incorporated energy-saving features into their recent renovation. Especially nice that they highlighted two “Abrahamic environmental efforts.” (One snarky correction: it’s Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, not Center).
