If God Knows Everything, Then Why Did God Give People Free Will?
Thank you to Mason, 15 years old, for asking this question. In this video, I name seven possible responses and add a story in the middle....
D’var Torah, Board of Directors Meeting, The Spark Wisconsin; Tribute to My Cousin
My d’var Torah (brief teaching) at the beginning of last week’s Board of Directors meeting for my non-profit organization, The Spark Wisconsin–and a tribute to my late cousin, Howard Katz, who constantly encouraged me and...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Righteousness, and Dying on Rosh Hashanah
TRANSCRIPTION: For many of us, our Jewish New Year of 5781 began with the news of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. Putting politics aside, she dedicated her life to public service and advocacy, and she...
Guest on Shmuel Rosner’s weekly Torah Talk
I had the joy and privilege of being a guest on the weekly Torah talk of author and journalist Shmuel Rosner as hosted on the Jewish Journal. Enjoy the video, and please let me know...
My Trip to Israel: Seeing a Man Who’s Bought Fruits and Vegetables
“What did you do?” “Where did you go?” “What did you see?” These are the natural and anticipated questions. Over this past winter break, I had the joy and privilege of being in Israel with...
Remembering and Forgetting
(In the wake of the shooting in New Zealand, I share an amended version of my words to my synagogue, Congregation Cnesses Israel, in Green Bay this past Shabbat.) In the Jewish calendar, this past...
Growing, Cutting, and Donating my Hair: A Reflection
Pride, Pressure and Principle: A Reflection on My Eighteen Months of Growing, Then Cutting, Then Donating My Hair My unintended personal journey began almost four years ago, when I was then the Associate...
The Particularistic and the Universalistic: Religion in 21st Century North America
(sermon delivered on June 9th, 2012) Shabbat shalom. I would like to talk about two things this morning that have been on my mind. The first is particularistic and the second universalistic. ...