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Truths You Can Use

Once upon a time, a couple came to a new town. On the road they met a man. They asked him, “How are the people in this town?” He replied, “Where are you coming from?” They told him. He then asked, “And how were the people in that town?” The couple replied, “They were selfish…

It’s been a hectic few weeks for me and my family. Sometimes in the midst of these days, I dream of a quiet peaceful place, where sounds are calming and life is unhurried. We all dream of such places. But would such a life be meaningful? A poem I came across recently poses this question.…

The government shutdown raises acute questions about the role and responsibility of leadership. We entrusted our fiscal and governing responsibility to people who cannot seem to execute it. Is there a way out? Is there something  the world’s oldest religion teach the leaders of the world’s most powerful nation? Absolutely. 1. Listen: All too often…

The Jewish holiday of Sukkot (Tabernacles) just ended. The biblical reading for the holiday contains the famous scene where Moses shatters the tablets containing the Ten Commandments.  This act emanated from his anger at his people’s worshipping of the golden calf. In trying to make sense of this text, the Jewish sages asked a poignant…

This Wednesday evening Jews around the world will gather in synagogue to begin the Jewish New Year. Known as Rosh Hashanah (meaning “Head of the Year), this holiday centers around prayer, study and a festive meal. It also begins the year 5774 on the Jewish calendar, reflecting the chronology of the Old Testament, where the…

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” is understandably the most famous speech given at the 1963 March on Washington. Minutes before King spoke, however, a lesser known figure came before the crowd. He happened to be an immigrant from Nazi Germany. He also happened to be a rabbi. His name was Joachim Prinz.…

A 13-year old Bar Mitzvah boy in Dallas recently made headlines. In a strident article in the Washington Post, Rabbi David Wolpe criticized the burlesque-themed Bar Mitzvah party thrown for the young man, whom he identified “Sammy.” “To turn a ceremony of spiritual maturation into a Vegas showgirl parade teaches a child sexualization of spirit.…

“Without God all things are permissible.” -Fyodor Dostoyevsky I was recently in the executive lounge at an upscale hotel. After filling my plate with pita chips and hummus, I began nibbling on the way back to my table. A chip (somehow!) fell from my hand. I picked it up and continued walking. A few seconds…

My teenage students often ask me why we need religion. We don’t need it answer questions about why it rains or why the sun shines. Science gives better answers to those. We don’t need it to explain human behavior or relationships. Psychology gives better answers to those. What, then, is religion for? I tell them…

2,000 years ago a great rabbi urged each of us to ask ourselves three questions. Doing so can change our lives. 1. “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” In other words, if what I do does not come from my heart, why am I doing it? We can be very…
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