The most human prophetic voices in the Bible from Micah to Jeremiah spoke eloquent, piercing words that disturbed the people. It has never been easy to be the person talking about the injustices in the world as the prophet Amos said: "They hate the one who reproves in the gate;...
(1) Comments | Posted December 30, 2011 | 1:04 PM
Prague, Czech Republic
December 23, 2011
The feelings of sadness, loss, grief were palatable as I walked around Prague and went to the Presidential Palace. Today was Vaclav Havel's funeral. At noon a siren sounded and everyone stopped to reflect for a minute on his life. I looked at...
(2) Comments | Posted October 26, 2011 | 6:00 PM
I will never forget that moment: 4:31 a.m., January 17, 1994. Like millions of others the Northridge earthquake shook me to my core. The ground which always seemed so anchored and firm was now was in turbulent motion. The Northridge earthquake (6.7) devastated so many people's lives in the Los...
(2) Comments | Posted October 26, 2011 | 5:50 PM
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Our news constantly bombards us with stories about one celebrity or another. It seems like all we care about is their social life, their vulnerabilities, their shortcoming. Then to compensate for it many celebrities give their name or bit of time to a charitable organization. This was best...
(1) Comments | Posted May 20, 2011 | 12:22 PM
TAMBURA COUNTY, SOUTH SUDAN -- I recall the stories I heard about the Holocaust as a child. Perhaps that explains why I am here, the reason behind my many trips to this area -- the stories, the images, the films had an indelible impact on me.
I remember the first...
(1) Comments | Posted May 11, 2011 | 7:39 PM
Since 2004 I have made several trips to this region: Darfur, Eastern Chad and now South Sudan. I am here because I believe there is an obligation to "bear witness" and to take action. One acts in a variety of ways: humanitarian aid, advocacy for human rights and sharing the...
(3) Comments | Posted September 30, 2009 | 1:05 PM
It is often in the absurd that poignant insights are provided. In his new movie, Brüno, Sasha Baron Cohen's character responds to a question regarding his social involvement: "Darfur is old news ... what about Darfive." He is commenting on our need to move on to what is fashionable and...
(1) Comments | Posted September 28, 2009 | 6:36 PM
No one says it ... but the uneasy feeling was palpable. I could see the questions in their eyes: Why are you going to spend Rosh Hashanah in Darfuri refugee camps in Eastern Chad? Why would a rabbi welcome the Jewish New Year in a place where there are no...
(2) Comments | Posted May 22, 2012 | 12:54 PM