April brings spring weather, Passover, and this year, many of our Israeli civic holidays – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day, April 11), Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day, April 19), and Yom HaAtzma-ut (Israeli Independence Day, April 20). This year it seems that our relationship to Isr… Read full post »

A fascinating discussion of Professor Michael Weingrad's piece, "Why There Is No Jewish Narnia," in the Jewish Review of Books, appears here: The Idea that Jews Don't Write Fantasy is Fantasy.

Both pieces, and some of the comments, are worth reading.

Here are my scant shekels on the topic:

Truly, Wei… Read full post »

After a long hiatus, I have returned to start this project again.

Upcoming posts will include an expansion of Reality-Based Spirituality - including some commentaries stemming from the study of Martin Buber's I and Thou, and Barbara Ehrenreich's book, Bright Sided.

Today, I am merely working on th… Read full post »

When we speak of religion and spirituality often people associate such ideas with an “other world” perspective. Yet, for a spiritual path to work we should find it rooted in the reality of our experiences, not in some idealized but unreal notions.

Hence a quick look at what I call the… Read full post »

Let’s try to use biblical models to open possibilities instead of cutting them off. That’s to say, I promise not to bludgeon you with a truncheon made of “thou shall” and “thou shall not”, opting to look at stories and characters as discussion points for thinking a… Read full post »

Body-mind connections…

One beautiful, earthy, Jewish prayer in the morning thanks the universe for the correct functioning of our incoming and outgoing orifices, since, were any of them to malfunction, we could not stand ourselves up to offer praise to anyone.

As we get older, this blessing be… Read full post »

I sang "Modeh Ani" - a morning blessing of thanks today and my 2.5 year old son said, "Don't sing that Daddy, that's a Temple song."

Admitting that Jude is at the age when everything must be put in it's own category doesn't diminish the notion that many people feel that… Read full post »

Working on a project about mysticism and everyday life - their fundamental connection, I have challenged myself with coming up with some thoughtful insight about these connections every day until I finish the project.

Here it goes...

This morning our son Jude awoke us too early - 6am. After being gro… Read full post »

If Obama can call for science to be respected in government, we in the religious world need to do the same - let us remind everyone of the need for scientific method and thinking to resume its place in the religious mind.

If our communities don't stand the test of reason,… Read full post »