First published in JewThink On the day I write this, we have witnessed 60 days of daily demonstrations in the streets of downtown Portland Oregon. After the murder of George Floyd by police, it was awe-inspiring to see myriads of thousands rise up across the US. Horrified by the blatant injustice, peaceful crowds in Portland … Continue reading
Amidst Tragedy, a Vision of the Possible
It begins on the 9th of Av, if we are willing and able to answer the summons A time of national self-assessment for the Jewish people We are counting our way through the Three Weeks – and now the Nine Days – leading to Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av, which translates to “the 9th day of … Continue reading
The Torah of Protest: Til The World Be Perfected
“You have been told what is good, and what HaShem requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the holy.” Micah 6.8 On the day I write this, we have witnessed 50 days of daily protests in the streets of downtown Portland Oregon. After the murder of George Floyd … Continue reading
Parashat Korakh: Uprising Time
Five days before this Erev Shabbat, summer time began with the solstice; the perfect balance of day time and night time. Erev Shabbat Korakh is the 103rd day of Coronavirus Time. We don’t yet know what that balance will be. Thursday night Portland saw the thirtieth day of street demonstrations, among the street gatherings that … Continue reading
Shabbat Shelakh L’kha: Trust or Fail
In these days of many kinds of prayers, let us consider the nature of Jewish prayer. Jews pray in highly specific ways, teaching us by way of this mindfulness practice a Jewish ethics of existence. The first kind of prayer we see demonstrated in our siddur, our makhzor and any other kind of prayer compilation … Continue reading
Shabbat Naso: Lift Every Face
We have passed thirteen weeks of social isolation now; a most disconsolate tally, longer than our Sefirat haOmer count and much more uncertain. We try to remain patient, and struggle to contain our fears of contagion into vessels of reasonable size. Shabbat comes again, once more without the chance of seeing our Torah in our … Continue reading
