judaism
The D’var Torah as Religious Struggle
The struggle to find personal meaning in words of Torah and to share that message with the community is the essence of Jewish spiritual maturation.
Shabbat & Nature
The conundrum of Shabbat observance and environmental damage.
Is Bar/Bat Mitzvah a Communal or Personal Rite?
The bar/bat mitzvah service now focuses on the child as individual, but the synagogue community should not suffer.
Non-Jewish Mothers and the Blessings on the Torah
Could an aliyah be a way to honor the sacrifices of a non-Jewish mother who raises a Jewish child?
Holy War: A Jewish Problem, Too
War in the name of God must be examined in our own tradition as well.
Worshipping Peace
When a revered value becomes all-important, it can become like an idol.
Bar and Bat Mitzvah 101
An overview of this Jewish rite of passage for 12- and 13-year-olds.
Modest Bat Mitzvah Creates Feminist Consciousness
Differences between a traditional bar and bat mitzvah are all too visible when the honorees are brother and sister.