“Silence is Assent”
I feel frozen, despite the Florida heat. The world outside my door seems more daunting than ever—and that’s saying something, …
Author Archives: SRQ Jew
Curses, Blessings, and 9/11
Curses and blessings. The Torah offers them in the same breath — and so does life. Just when everything seems …
Catch Me Before I Fall
There are a lot of laws in the Torah—613, to be exact. Many are completely irrelevant to you and me. …
Job Posting: Resilience Officer Needed
I made a fascinating discovery this week. I heard it on a radio news program, when an announcer said excitedly: …
Telling Moses “We’re OK”
As a rabbi who writes a weekly essay, I’ve come to realize that I have much greater freedom since I …
Above My Pay Grade: Wrestling With God’s Plan
This weekend, I will lead Shabbat services at a synagogue for the first time in months. It’s a synagogue I …
From Sorrow to Renewal
For those who follow the rhythm of Jewish time, a slow but steady build-up is underway. In the physical universe—where …
I Will Not Mourn on Tisha B’Av
This Sunday (Aug. 3) is Tisha B’Av. The ninth day of the month of Av. Jews around the world will …
Reverse Omer for 2025
Spiritual preparation for the Jewish High Holidays is difficult. First, you have to figure out when they are, because it …
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Torah
Sci-fi author Douglas Adams—who made the number 42 famous for entirely different reasons—probably didn’t know about the 42 places the …
SRQ Jew 