Ed Feinstein
Engagement with the world is more than a cultural value; it is the very life breath of the Jewish soul. Cut off from the world and turned entirely inward, the Jewish soul suffocates. … More »
Teachings from a Reluctant Prophet
Susan Laemmle
Over the centuries, the book of Jonah has generated many meaningful interpretations. We draw upon them each Yom Kippur. Midrash has always been able to generate spiritual sparks when rubbed against biblical stories. Today, we mine those lessons that speak to the pressures and conflicts we struggle with personally. … More »
On Prophecy and Democracy
Aryeh Cohen
While the power of prophets is important, it must be the responsibility of democracy to set policy and seek solutions. … More »
Minna Bromberg, a singer, songwriter, rabbi, and voice teacher, sings:
“Gone Tarshisha’ a song that envisions Jonah as the most human of prophets, as willing as any of us to go to great lengths to escape the inescapable. [kaltura-widget uiconfid=”535″ entryid=”1_zsv0hvnl” width=”500″ height=”180″ addpermission=”-1″ editpermission=”-1″ /] “Turning Song,” a teshuvah love song, borrows many of its lyrics from the psalms of the Days of Awe … More »
Judaism as a Source of Democratic Thought
David Saperstein
Four key values necessary for democracy are found in Judaism’s view of human society. … More »
The Book of Jonah: A Primer
The biblical book of Jonah tells the story of Jonah ben Amitai, whom God sends to Nineveh to warn the inhabitants of the city’s imminent destruction. Refusing his prophetic mission, Jonah flees aboard a ship traveling in the opposite direction — to Tarshish. God brings a storm that threatens the ship. To save their lives, … More »
Spiritual Direction with Yonah
Penina Adelman Spiritual direction encompasses a relationship between two people in which the “director” accompanies the “directee” in an exploration of his/her growing relationship with God. All spiritual directors go through formal training and are participants in spiritual direction themselves. Session One SD: (greeting Yonah at the door): Shalom and barukh haba — welcome to … More »
Questioning God’s Mercy
Devora Steinmetz “And Moses hastened and bowed to the ground and prostrated himself.” (Exodus 34:8) What did Moses see? R. Chanina ben Gamla said: He saw “long-suffering” (slow to anger). (Exodus 34:6) And the sages say: He saw “truth.” (Exodus 34:6) It was taught in accordance with the one who said that he saw “long-suffering”: … More »
The Specificity of Gratitude
SUSAN P. FENDRICK In memory of Alan Fendrick z”l I confess that I first experienced the request to write about gratitude and the book of Jonah as the “worst petichta homework assignment ever.” (Rabbinic insider baseball: A petichta is a form in classical rabbinic midrash in which the darshan — the midrashic composer — demonstrates … More »