We just finished the Jewish High Holy Days. On the one hand, I am relieved of the stress. On the other hand, it was a beautiful holy day season at Monmouth Reform Temple. Many of my colleagues dread these days because of the pressure of preparation and the marathon services one has to lead. Once […]

On Rosh Hashanah, I spoke about the need to understand that multiple truths co-exist. Truth is about perception. We all know what we know, and often, we know it so well that it is nigh impossible to believe that someone else’s thoughts could possibly be true.   In our current climate, we do this to […]

Yesterday, the City of Red Bank, NJ went out on a limb with me. In response to flyers purportedly distributed by the KKK, we went on the offensive. With my partners on the Human Relations Advisory Committee, we launched the “NO HATE AT HOME” campaign. Whether formalized in the hate speech and violence of groups […]

I spend a lot of time reading, studying, and discussing religion with folks. It is, most certainly, a hazard of my job. A long time ago, I learned that one should never argue or debate religion. The constructs of religions are so incredibly diverse that we struggle to understand the breadth of “religiosity” within our […]

As you read this, we are driving Rachel to college for her first year. We are excited for her and for us (now empty nesters) –and at the same time, reflective and reminiscent. Judiciously, one cannot have and raise children and not be excited to see whether or not our teaching/mentoring/parenting helped create a human […]

Early on in my Rabbinical School career, I went to a nursing home to visit someone in need of speaking with a Chaplain. As a rising third-year Rabbinical Student (5 year program), I knew just enough to be dangerous. I learned a lot living in the role of Chaplain. We learn that the “Ministry of […]

I remember preparing my first research paper in high school. Ms Lily Fulton (my all-time favorite teacher) told me that quoting one person is plagiarism while quoting many is research. She taught me that citing one source was not contemplative or creative. If one source is the sum total of one’s thought, the writer stagnates […]

I am getting ready to attend my 40th high school reunion in about two months. Being 58 did not seem “old” until I realized that I finished high school four decades ago. In so many ways, they seem to have just blown by. When talking to old classmates recently located on social media, we start […]

I watched a video about a young lady who was celebrating losing 170 pounds. She said that she just had had enough watching life pass her by. She had to do something. She is now a physical trainer. I counseled with an individual who, after hitting the age of 40 decided he needed to not […]

“You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I Myself abide, for I the Lord abide among the Israelite people.’” (Numbers 35:34.) You know how all sorts of folks claim that this is a religious country, how the Bible governs, and how God speaks through scripture? Now, I believe that we […]