Noise & Quiet
We have more stimuli than ever. According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans between the ages of 18-24 check their smart phones 53 times a day. How can we pause to think and reflect when there is an incessant flood of emails, text messages, and non-stop social media? Scientists have proposed a name for one … More »
Be Still, and Know that I Am God (Psalm 46:10)
We live in a world starring extroverts: outgoing, gregarious, opinionated types are the ones who make a stir, succeed in job interviews, and win political campaigns. Even synagogues are run by dog-rabbis, rather than cat-rabbis. The success of the mega-church movement is predicated on a culture of welcoming, in-your-face friendliness, and ubiquitous “greeters.” In fact, … More »
The Individual and the Community: A New Synthesis
When I was in graduate school, working part time in the Jewish community, I belonged to an informal, traditional, egalitarian, lay-led minyan that was part of a Conservative synagogue in Philadelphia. There were two separate minyanim meeting in this shul, in addition to the service led by the rabbi in the main sanctuary. The vast … More »