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.
I sat with the two children of a mother who had just passed away. They were recounting her life for me in preparation for the funeral.
[featured-image link=”null” link_single=”inherit” single_newwindow=”false”]
As we spoke, the mother’s long-time caretaker came into the room. She began to speak about their relationship. Though her English was not perfect, the three of us sat spell-bound.
A Sad Journey
She described how she moved to Chicago from Belize after her youngest son died. Continue reading
As I child I could not sit through movies or meals. Sitting through a musical was out of the question.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”true”]
Yet, when I was seven, my parents decided to take me to see Fiddler on the Roof. Looking back now as parent of a seven-year-old, I would not have been so bold.
Since that first experience, I have been I love with this story. I’ve seen the musical four times and the movie at least half a dozen. It’s one of my favorite resources for classes and sermons on Jewish tradition and history.
And I am not alone. Continue reading
Deadly images on television tear at our heart. We wish for the violence in Israel to end.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]This land, sacred to three global religions, seems endlessly mired in conflict. Does religion just promote division or hatred? Is it because of its religious significance that Israel remains a place of tension? Or is faith, at its core, a force of peace?
If we listen to most voices in the media and pop culture, we would answer this question without hesitation. Religion is bad, primitive, and dangerous.
We would agree with late writer Christopher Hitchens, who said “The Bible Continue reading
Coming home recently on a long flight, I had the chance to watch the classic film Dead Poet’s Society.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]
One of the late Robin William’s most poignant films, it tells the story of a charismatic teacher who unleashes the passions of students at a New England Prep School. Continue reading
In Jewish tradition we have a special greeting for a genius. Upon meeting such a person, we say, Blessed are You, Eternal God, Source of Life, who has given from His wisdom to flesh and blood.
Had I ever met Robin Williams, I would surely have said it.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]
Williams was a singular genius. He brought joy and comfort to so many. Yet, that same joy and satisfaction continued to elude him. Continue reading
The Bible was never meant to be studied alone. This past year, a Christian colleague and I gathered periodically to study. He suggested we explore Deuteronomy.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]The study expanded us both. While we differ in our view of the Old Testament, we both came to see Deuteronomy as strikingly modern. The God it describes is accessible and universal.
The moral vision it presents challenges and enlarges us. The society it reflects resembles our own.
[callout]If you are Christian or a Jew beginning to study the Old Testament, I suggest starting with Deuteronomy. [/callout] Here’s what you might discover. Continue reading
I just finished writing a book on Passover and the Exodus from Egypt. One of the parts I struggled most with is Pharaoh’s violence and God’s hardening of his heart.
[featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]
Recall the setting: It is Exodus chapter nine, and Moses and Aaron have urged Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Thus far, Pharaoh has refused, and God has responded by inflicting five plagues on Egypt.
The Egyptian people are miserable. They want Pharaoh to just let the people go. Even Pharaoh’s top advisors are urging him to relent and tell Moses the Israelites can leave.
Yet, we then read “But God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them.” (Exodus 9:12)
What is the Bible Trying to Tell Us?
Continue reading
While sometimes political correctness can rise to the level of foolishness, the words we use do matter. My book editor recently reminded me of this truth.
I had used the phrase “Southern leaders” in referring to political leaders of the Confederacy. My editor pointed out that Blacks in the South were Southerners as well.
To equate Confederate and Southern does an injustice to those African-American Southerners. I should, she suggested, refer to political leaders in the South as “White” or “Confederate” Southern leaders. Lesson learned.
How “Pharisee” Became an Insult Continue reading
It feels like a bad dream. Last week, while hundreds of Jews prayed in two synagogues In Paris, rioters surrounded the buildings and trapped them inside.
It took the arrival of battalions of French police to secure a safe exit. The story triggered my heart and mind. See, while I have never experienced overt antisemitism, I have studied it.
My focus in college was modern European history. One of its defining moments was the so-called “Dreyfus Affair,” in which the highly-decorated Jewish French Colonel Alfred Dreyfus was accused of treason.
The accusation was accompanied by riots in Paris in which thousands yelled “Death to the Jews.” Continue reading