What the World Needs Now

Do you know that great Burt Bachrach song, “What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love?” Very true.

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But the world also needs Shalom. Shalom is peace, wholeness, integrity. It is grace, fullness, trust. (For an understanding of the Shalom is really used in the Bible, see chapter 8 of rabbi.loudmouse.com/jewishjesus

How do we get more Shalom? We start small. When I was young,” recalled a great nineteenth century rabbi, “I wanted to change the world. I tried, but the world did not change. Continue reading

5 Elie Wiesel Books You Need to Read

The world is not the same without Elie Wiesel. He did more than write. He did more than teach. He symbolized survival and hope.

I met him at age 13 when my dad and I drove from Milwaukee to Chicago to see him speak. Afterward we went up to talk, and my dad embarrassed me by telling Wiesel I wanted to become a rabbi. Continue reading

Finding Hope After the Horror

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The Kindergarten Stabbing

Many years ago, the director of my Sunday school once came to me with a problem. A girl in the third grade class felt isolated from all her peers. They ostracized her. She left each day crying.

I did a little investigating and learned the reason. Back in kindergarten, this girl had poked another girl with a pencil. It was a hard poke. But nothing too serious. She apologized and the class moved on.  Continue reading

The One Thing We Must Never Do

 Little kids can be stubborn, but sometimes my youngest daughter takes it to a new heights.

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Last year we arrived at a Baskin Robbins 15 minutes after it had had closed. She refused to acknowledge this fact.  “It’s not closed!” she pleaded.

“But look at the sign,” we said.  Continue reading

Why Don’t I Get More Letters Like This?

Sometimes a reader understands your book better than you do. That’s the feeling I got after receiving this letter. It reveals exactly what my newest book can teach and do for readers.

Click to Get a discounted copy of the Book

Dear Rabbi,

“When I was growing up, I had a number of Jewish friends, and I used to visit the synagogue yearly as a part of our Sunday school ecumenical program.

Nevertheless, I can’t say that I knew much about Judaism as a religion. It wasn’t until I was middle aged that I even met a devout Jew.

Thus this book was a revelation for me. Continue reading

Why are There So Many Jewish Lawyers (and Supreme Court Justices)?

The entire world Jewish population is 13 million. That is smaller than a tiny statistical error in the Chinese Census. Between 5 and 6 of those 13 million live in America. We constitute to about 1.7% of the American population.

Yet, if Judge Merrick Garland is confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice (a big if!), four out of the nine justices would be Jews. That’s almost a majority. What explains this extraordinary representation? Two factors:  Continue reading

A Frog Must Jump: Or How We Always End Up Following Our Passion

A good friend of mine is a highly successful entrepreneur. He also happens to be a rabbi.

We met in rabbinical school. At the time he planned to lead a congregation, as I do now. By the time we graduated, however, plans had changed.

Even before graduating, he was leading a new Jewish organization. (The closest Christian analogy would be a church plant). Then he was advising other start-ups.

Soon he began an after-school initiative. While rooted in the Jewish value of education, this is not a religious program. Continue reading

10 Prayers for the New Year

We all need a little inspiration as we approach the New Year. Following is a series of short prayers based on Jewish wisdom and tradition.

1. Looking Backward and Forward: The name January comes from the Roman god “Janus.” He had two faces so he could look forward and backward at the same time. Eternal God, help us to know this truth. We can look back, and in so doing, we can help create the way forward. The past need not hold us back. It can lead us ahead.

2. Unwrap the Gift: Eternal God, You gave us the greatest gift: the gift of life. In the coming year, help us use it wisely. May we grow in generosity, kindness and forgiveness, hope, faith and love. Amen.

3. Beginnings are blessings: Eternal God, bless this new beginning with an extra spirit of your strength, so that we may turn our days into blessings of your name. Amen.

4. Possibilities: To begin again is not a dream. It is an everlasting possibility. God, help us to grab hold of it and make it real in the coming year. Amen

5. The Book of Life: A new year is a new page in the book of our lives. May we write with color, wisdom and humility. And may your grace fall upon it consistently and unceasingly. Amen. (The ultimate prayer for many Christians is the Lord’s prayer. I offer a new understanding of it in this excerpt from my upcoming book.)

6. Waiting for Us: The good we missed last year waits for us still. Eternal God, give us the eyes to see it, the ears to hear and the heart to find it. Amen

7. Strength: God, we do not ask for a life of ease and comfort. We simply ask to be uncomplaining and unafraid. May you give us that strength for the New Year.

8. The Possibility for Change: The Hebrew word for “year” also means “change.” Change is a possibility for each us. May we embrace that possibility for change within ourselves, change within our families, change within our communities, and change within our world.

9. Change is inevitable: Growth is not. It depends on our will, our hopes, our dreams. And it rests on Your Grace. Give us an extra portion of it, so that we may fill the New Year with your Presence. Amen

10. Presence: The greatest gift we can give to others and You can give to us, Oh God, is Presence. May we be present for others during the coming year, and may You bless us with Your presence at every moment. Amen.

What is Your Prayer for the New Year? (The ultimate prayer for many Christians is the Lord’s prayer. I offer a new understanding of it, unpacking its Jewish context, in this excerpt from my upcoming book.)