All too often, Jewish Clergy, including yours truly, falls prey to a theology which opens a Pandora’s Box. All too often, Jewish clergy, including yours truly, sees the hand of HaShem playing a role in our history: In the Spring of 1945, F.D.R. assuaged the concerns of King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia (…we state frankly and plainly that to […]
It’s been close to 50 years since the spaghetti western The Good, The Bad, The Ugly played in American movie houses. Despite its low budget, the name and perhaps the theme song, continues to live on. With Israel celebrating its 67th anniversary this Thursday, perhaps it’s time to take a fresh approach with this song title in mind. Rather than […]
I learned a new term the other day – OTD. It means Off the Derech, or path. OTD applies to anyone who breaks out of the Chassidic insulated or totally sheltered Jewish world, by rejecting its teachings, values and lifestyle. Anyone who bolts from the insulated community that he/she was born into, is taking a giant leap for which more […]
While the Four questions are over and done with until next year, there exists another set of questions that some feel ought to at the very least be pondered. With the recent Religious Freedom Law garnering headlines, let us not be too hasty breathing a sigh of relief, that we are neither Bakery owners being asked to decorate a cake […]
With Pesach soon upon us, it quite apparent that maror will place a distant second when it comes to bitter taste. The bitter taste of maror has been outdone by the poorest of taste of a pro-Israel group that purchased advertising space on SEPTA (South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority) buses serving residents of Philadelphia. The ad features a 1941 photograph […]
