This week, I am in Israel. On Friday, I visited with a group of 18-year olds participating in Habonim-Dror [Jewish Youth Movement]…
Ego Apocalypse
Making the best of 47 terrible choices of in-flight movies, on the way to New York I watched World War Z.…
Mandela and Messianic Time
In less than a week, so much has been said to eulogize Nelson Mandela. Together with Frederik Willem de Klerk,…
Archetype of Wisdom
Literally, the word archetype means “primal patterns.” And, as psychologist C.G. Jung sees it, these patterns are common to the…
Genesis: An Archetypal Journey
In last night’s dream, I met myself — lots of different versions of myself. An elderly woman, accompanied by her…
Paradox of Free Will
Free will or determinism? Parshat Miketz asks the question. Or, rather, it sets out two different answers. Thus, it tempts…
Thanksgivukkah: The True History
Thanksgivvukah, the rare convergence of American Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, has been a mechayeh — a revitalization. Maybe even a re-dedication, which…
Found: New Prayers
In this week’s Exploring Judaism class at Or Shalom Synagogue, we discussed “prayer.” Student questions drove our discussion. What are we hoping…
Dream Interpretation, Talmud Style
Hidden in Torah’s stories of Joseph the dreamer lie some basic guidelines for dream interpretation. Our Talmudic sages develop these…