Hanukkah: a time to enjoy family, friends, songs, rich foods, parties, gifts, and games. To share story and history, to be both…
Hanukkah's Casual Violence
Hanukkah is coming. It’s time to tell stories about armed resistance against oppression. Children will read about the five brave…
Thanksgiving Peace, Jacob Style
Sim shalom! Grant peace! These words begin the final section of the Amidah, standing silent meditation, in the daily Jewish…
A Precious Resource: Found at Durga Puja
We came to the Laxmi Narayan Hindu Mandir (Temple) in Surrey, Canada, expecting to see unfamiliar religious practices. But, as…
Isaac and Ishmael
Five weeks ago, I was invited to a multi-faith Eid Al-Adha dinner at Baitur Rahman Mosque in Delta, to socialize…
Binding Questions
The story of Akedat Yitzchak — the Binding of Isaac– does not make sense (Gen. 22:1-19). God has fulfilled a promise; Abraham…
Did Noah Speak Crow?
I’m an experienced hiker, but sometimes I do stupid things. A few years ago, I made three mistakes at once.…
Five Stages of Soul
Simchat Torah: a day for reading — and connecting — the beginning and end of the Torah. The Torah begins…
Ecclesiastes: What's It All About?
Ecclesiastes. A Latin word meaning: a book you might find in church. A mysterious book of the Bible, called in…