Spirituality

Let’s Go to the Theater: The Good Book

When you say the words, “The Bible,” a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim will probably have different ideas in mind. Put them all together for The Good Book.   Berkeley Rep’s play, The Good Book explores faith, belief in God, and the acceptance of biblical scripture as divine, as opposed to scientific, historical theories of…

Read More »

What is “God”?

Two weeks ago I had a wonderful program, What Do Rabbis REALLY Believe About God? To that question let me add: What do Catholics believe about God? What do Zoroastrians believe? What do agnostics or Buddhists believe? What about Catholic priests?  Muslim imams? When I pose this question to individuals, many are quick and confident as they…

Read More »

What Do Rabbis REALLY Believe About God?

(Photos top row from the left: Rabbi Steve Chester, Rabbi Rebecca Gutterman, Rabbi Daniel Stein and bottom row from the left: Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Rabbi Yonatan Cohen) God Talk with Rabbis from Across the Jewish Denominations Rabbis talk about God quite a bit. But what role does God plays in the lives of our rabbis?…

Read More »

A Scholarly Catholic View of Judaism

I was given this article, A Sacred Obligation, by a Catholic priest many years ago. I love the very rabbinic way in which they ask questions of God in regard to Jews and Judaism. There are some very meaningful questions and answers that may comfort or reassure individuals whose children marry a Jew and raise…

Read More »

The Torah Drash, a modern look at ancient words

Each week synagogues read the weekly Torah portion and rabbis seek modern meaning in ancient words.  This week Rabbi Chester, interim rabbi at Temple Isaiah this year, used the portion to look at our modern political situation. It’s worth reading.   Parshat Toldot: Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 I am one who believes that some things…

Read More »