Author Archives: Rabbi Evan
I show the way Jewish wisdom make our lives richer and happier. In particular, I help Jews appreciate their heritage and Christians uncover the Jewish roots of their faith. Get my FREE Jewish holidays cheat sheet by clicking here.
Have you ever had a friend or family member who was suffering? Perhaps they had just gone through a divorce? Perhaps they had lost a parent? Perhaps they were sick and in the hospital?
All of us have probably faced this situation many times. What do you say? How do you comfort them?
Some people knew to have a knack for knowing exactly what to say. But most of us struggle…
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Last Sunday’s Appearance on the Fox and Friends show. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
A mentor once advised me that a good rabbi needs a strong ego. We deal with much criticism because clergy often become the target of people’s frustration with God, life and the inevitable experiences of pain and suffering.
But I’ve learned that criticism is inevitable. Dealing with it takes effort. The same is true for everyone.
While I am fortunate to serve a loving and supportive community, I, like everyone, face occasional hostility. It could be a sermon, a decision, something said in passing. How do we survive it? How do we deal with it? Here are five responses that work. Continue reading
In my Bible study class yesterday, we came across a long passage of name. Then I received the usual question: Why are there so many genealogies in the Bible? What’s with the bible family tree?
It’s a good question. The Bible teaches us how to live. So why all the lists of names? Why do we need a bible family tree? Continue reading
I have a strange obsession with eulogies. It might be an occupational hazard. I have to deliver at least one eulogy a week.
I’ve also heard hundreds of eulogies from family members and friends. Many inspired me and made me look at my own life differently. And learning from good example eulogies helps sharpen my writing. Continue reading
Mahmoud Abbas, the dictator/president of the Palestinian Authority, wrote his doctoral dissertation blaming Jews for the Holocaust. He gave full public expression to this awful view in a speech last week. It is worth reading because it crystallizes the beliefs of modern antisemitism.
As I just completed the draft of an upcoming book on antisemitism, I read it with great interest. He expressed what I have always suspected many anti-Semites believe but do not say publicly. Continue reading
Funerals can be painful. But they can also bring us comfort and guidance. A Jewish funeral has one core purpose: to comfort the bereaved.
Jewish funeral customs follow a set order. Not all Jews observe all these customs. But most follow at least a few of them. They originate largely in the Bible. Continue reading
Moses and Aaron are the two brothers who lead the Israelites out of Egypt. But they are much more. They are the first set of siblings in the Bible to get along.
Remember Cain and Abel, or Jacob and Esau? Or perhaps you recall when Joseph’s brothers tried to murder him?
The closeness between Moses and Aaron is even more remarkable because Aaron was the older brother. He would have been the natural leader. Yet, Moses is the one chosen by God.
He leads the Israelites out of Egypt and receives the Ten Commandments.
Was Aaron jealous? Continue reading