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Pulling the Arc of the Moral Universe Toward Justice
How is it possible that we are still fighting racism, sexism, and antisemitism in this country? We thought we were the most forward-looking country in the world, a light unto the nations. We thought we had evolved beyond such destructive tribalism. We thought we could see the arc of the moral universe bending toward justice before our eyes.[1] We just had to sit back and let it happen.
That was our mistake. Bending toward justice does not happen when we sit back and watch. Even treading water requires effort and vigilance. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
Familiarity Breeds Empathy
This Valentine’s Day, we can learn about loving our neighbors from watching how rats do it. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Who will write our history?
It distresses me how long it has taken for us to realize what Emanuel Ringelblum recognized in 1940 at the very inception of the Warsaw ghetto: unless we Jews tell our story, the story of the Holocaust will be told by the perpetrators. In the experiences of many of us, the story of the Holocaust has been dominated by Nazi propaganda and Nazi thinking. [redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Pulling the Arc of the Moral Universe Toward Justice
How is it possible that we are still fighting racism, sexism, and antisemitism in this country? We thought we were the most forward-looking country in the world, a light unto the nations. We thought we had evolved beyond such destructive tribalism. We thought we could see the arc of the moral universe bending toward justice before our eyes.[1] We just had to sit back and let it happen.
That was our mistake. Bending toward justice does not happen when we sit back and watch. Even treading water requires effort and vigilance. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
Familiarity Breeds Empathy
This Valentine’s Day, we can learn about loving our neighbors from watching how rats do it. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Who will write our history?
It distresses me how long it has taken for us to realize what Emanuel Ringelblum recognized in 1940 at the very inception of the Warsaw ghetto: unless we Jews tell our story, the story of the Holocaust will be told by the perpetrators. In the experiences of many of us, the story of the Holocaust has been dominated by Nazi propaganda and Nazi thinking. [redirects to the Times of Israel.]
When it’s an attack on your own community
I awoke on Sunday morning in Singapore to the news that another synagogue was under attack. The rabbi and several congregants of a synagogue in Texas were being held hostage by an unknown assailant. An old story, a repeated story – Jews under attack for being Jews. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
How to Teach Race Relations: Lessons from Holocaust Education
A group of 7th graders sit in a circle, white kids in the center, black and brown kids on the outside. They have been sorted by a “privilege” score assigned based on the color of their skin. The white students are trying to find a way to apologize to the students of color for the sins of their ancestors. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
Let the Light Shine on: Reassessing God’s role in the Holocaust
What was God’s role in the Holocaust? Was God a perpetrator, a bystander, or a savior? Many of us have grappled with these questions: Where was God during the Holocaust? How could a God who loves us let such a thing happen? [redirects to the Times of Israel]
What Chanukah teaches us about Holocaust Remembrance
As Chanukah reminds us, Jews are no strangers to persecution. We have been fighting for our right to exist since the beginning of our recorded history. As we say at Passover: “In every generation, there are those who wish to destroy us.” A list of those who’ve tried would be long: Pharaoh, Amalek, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Antiochus, Caesar, Torquemada, to name only some. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
Why I teach the Holocaust in Churches
Holocaust education needs to be different in a church than in a synagogue. Although we like to think of Christians and Jews as similar, there are fundamental differences in our background knowledge of and emotional connection to the basic elements of the story of the Holocaust. These fundamental differences change how the story is heard, and therefore, how the story should be told. [Redirects to the Times of Israel.]
How to Teach Race Relations: Lessons from Holocaust Education
A group of 7th graders sit in a circle, white kids in the center, black and brown kids on the outside. They have been sorted by a “privilege” score assigned based on the color of their skin. The white students are trying to find a way to apologize to the students of color for the sins of their ancestors. [Redirects to the Times of Israel]
How to deal with antisemitism in our schools
“Never ascribe to malice what can be explained by ignorance, confusion, or ineptitude.” This statement was made by Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis in response to a disturbing incident that happened in Texas last week. In a teacher training in Southlake, a suburb outside Dallas, the curriculum director made a surprising statement: “Make sure that if you have a book on the Holocaust, that you have one that has an opposing…that has other perspectives.” [redirects to the Times of Israel]
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