Everywhere in this twilight hour, people hurry, worry, think about dinner, turn on televisions. Pour wine, open books. Dogs, collared and leashed eagerly await their evening walk.
Read moreKedoshim Question: Aural Argument
For this week's Torah portion, Kedoshim, Kol Aleph – the Jewish Renewal Blog – reprinted a piece I wrote in 2013, immediately on the heels of the Supreme Court arguments in the Windsor and Obergefell, the same-sex marriage cases. In it I imagine oral argument before the heavenly court to revoke the biblical prohibition on homosexuality, with no less than the famed Rabbi Hillel as the attorney for the petitioners. I was honored that this piece was selected for inclusion in this year's array of Torah commentary from Renewal rabbis and students.
Read moreThe Chain of Generations (and Minnie's Meringues)
The Steinert girls: Rose, Lucy and Minnie ca 1910. Chaco Canyon at sunset. Chaco in snow.
I bit in, and everything in me suddenly said, "Why yes, Grandma Minnie." A few bites later, it was again just a delicious thing and now sentimental too. But for that first moment, I had the unmistakable sensation of my grandmother next to me, our hearts turned toward each other in a way that hasn't been possible for nearly half a century.
Read moreEnter Shabbat (Musical Meditation)
An improvisation to help you move from the jagged week into some spacious, giddy Shabbat consciousness. Melody by Shlomo Carlebach. Guitar played by Susie Miller. Singing by everyone at Congregation Ner Shalom last Friday, March 17, 2017.
Shabbat Shalom.
Troublemakers
Now beware. There are risks associated with stirring the waters, as any activist knows. The thing is, when you stir the waters, the waters get stirred. There are ripples; and the consequences can be unpredictable. Other activists might be stirred up or stirring up in different ways, and the hulls of your ships might bang up against each other – the hulls of your friendships, your partnerships, colliding. This happens. And so it is important to remember that someone stirring the water differently is not necessarily your enemy. And that there is room on these waves for all of us to ride.
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