April 4th is a Jewish holiday. It’s the yortseit (death anniversary) of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was assassinated on that date in 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist not only on behalf of the civil rights movement, but was also an activist for peace and for workers’ rights. He […]
With Purim over, it’s time for me to start updating Tri-Valley Cultural Jews’ Secular Humanistic Passover Haggadah for our community seder April 27. It has always been pretty easy to include references to current events that can be informed by the Pesakh story, but this year, I’ve got a problem. For many years, our haggadah,
Purim is one of those holidays where we don’t tell the whole story. (https://secularjewishweddings.com/why-do-we-tell-only-half-the-story/) But it is more than that we don’t tell the whole story. It’s that we don’t see the whole people. The book of Esther, on which the holiday is based, is a historical fiction, written about 400 years after the events
Chanukah, Purim, Pesakh – all our stories end happy. But do they, really? Let’s take a look at what happens after “they lived happily ever after.” Let’s look at the real stories of Jewish holidays and find out why we tell only half the story. We tell the story of chanukah, the retaking of the
Why do we tell only half the story? Read More »
Happy chanukah (conventional), happy khanukah (my preferred), a freylikhn khanike (Yiddishist) from the Seid-Gates garage door. Let’s all figure out how we can bring more light to the world, tonight and every night. Here are some ideas for your candle-lighting dedications this year: 1st night – this candle is dedicated to the one life we
The situation in Israel and Gaza torments decent people of every ethnicity. The murderous rampage of Hamas terrorists creates rage and despair among Jews everywhere, not just in Israel. Is there no place Jews can ever be safe? The relentless coldhearted siege of Gaza resulting in the needless deaths of civilians is heartbreaking. The Gazan
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Keeping despair at bay. I’m distraught and feeling on the verge of hopelessness about Israel’s democracy. Israel is approaching 75, a time when you’d think a democracy would have had time to mature and become entrenched. But Israel’s democracy, like those of so many other countries, is under attack. Israel is on the verge of
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How to Make Latkes Read More »
Well, it has happened again just last week. In fact, in happens every single time. After one of our Secular Brit Mitzvah ceremonies, someone comes up to me and says “This is the most meaningful Bar or Bat Mitzvah I’ve ever been to.” I often hear stories about ceremonies that consisted of memorized Hebrews and
As the news of Omicron spreads, even alone in my house, I can hear the head-banging and the groans from all over the world. Not again! I thought we were done with this! I can’t do this any more! It has to stop! No no no no nonononooooooo! Well, it’s yes yes yes. It is
