Shavua Tov: Never Forget

from 2016 Shavua Tov 30 Nissan 5776 / May 8, 2016 Never Forget While studying in Jerusalem, I took advantage of a break between classes to stroll into the kitchen of Neve Schechter, Israel’s rabbinical school for the Conservative Movement.  I was tired, dragging my feet, and got myself some instant coffee and hot water. 

Shavua Tov: An Off-Campus Encounter

Yo, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? Isn’t it obvious? But what are you doing here? Dude, you see the zip ties. Yeah. I didn’t see you at the protest. I was there, I just wasn’t in the encampment. I was outside. Outside doing what? Counterprotesting. You weren’t one of those

Passover Spotlight: Hagodeh Shel Pesach (with a Socialist Twist)

There is no shortage of liberation movements that have been inspired by the ancient story of the Exodus from Egypt. Even the Passover Haggadah itself tells us: “whoever expounds upon the Exodus from Egypt is to be praised.” With revolution on the minds of many during the first quarter of the last century, it would

Passover Spotlight: The Israeli Black Panthers Haggadah

I grew up with the standard Birnbaum Haggadah, sporting a yellow cover and red border. I can recite the exact page every prayer is found (Kiddush? p. 5; Mah Nishtanah? p. 8; Adir Hu? p. 44. Believe me now?). On a few occasions I happened upon the Maxwell House Haggadah. It was only when I

Purim Torah: My Rabbi, The Self-Driving Car

During the last decade, we have witnessed spectacular advancements in self-driving technology, dominated by companies like Tesla and Waymo. And just last week, a new startup called HeebMo began beta-testing an exciting new development in what they call “ambient self-driving” options. I agreed to their request to test one particular model, the “Rebmobile,” which Heebmo

Shavua Tov: All Flask, No Wine?

Many of you were among the 32 million Americans who tuned into the President’s State of the Union Address. The oldest president in American History was and remains under a great amount of pressure to assure Democrats and Independents that he still has the vitality and mental acuity that the job requires. The result was

Shavua Tov: Richard Jewish

As I recall, during the first quarter-century of my life I witnessed one solitary television series whose main character was Jewish: “Bridget Loves Bernie.” That same year, a young stand-up comedian named Richard Lewis emerged “from Hell” (Hell’s Kitchen, that is), a phrase he is credited with coining. He had the childhood from Hell, so

Shavua Tov: Godface

When I was a child, my father, Z”L, would place his hands on our heads to bless us at the Shabbat table every week. I knew that blessing by heart before I learned “The-leinu” and stopped crawling under the pews at shul. We knew that moment was important as we dutifully sat still while Dad

Shavua Tov: Rhapsody in You

That klezmer-esque clarinet turning bawdy. The soft stroll through different neighborhoods in lower Manhattan until coming across a very noisy intersection. Meanderings between thrill and danger. What is it about George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, first performed 100 years ago last week, that lures me into a kaleidoscopic flurry of such images and bright colors?

Shavua Tov: Eyes on Zion

“As long as within the heart a Jewish soul hums, and while the eye looks East to Zion, Then our hope has not been lost – that 2,000 years-long hope – to be a free nation in Zion, and Jerusalem.” (Israeli national anthem) Kind of sums it up for me. My father, z”l regaled us with