I spent the last couple of days with Avi and Saleh — had a great time, even took them for falafel at Beyond Pita in Montclair before they flew out of Newark. They were amazing speakers – kudos to Carolyn Slutsky for telling their story. ‘Peace Has To Start Somewhere’ Israeli and Palestinian teens in dialogue program for youth of different faiths hit New York with hopeful message. Carolyn Slutsky – Staff Writer Avi Gordis had never been in a…
There is nothing more gratifying for a writer than to have a total stranger read a piece and respond with both a phone call and another piece of writing. A Texan, Alex Lukats, read my stem cell essay on UPI and called me in my office. Then he sent me a piece that he was inspired to write. He granted me permission to share it with you. Here it is: I am in the final stages of multiple sclerosis. What…
Reverend Herb Daughtry, an African-American pastor in Brooklyn famous for his “Marry Baby Daddy Day” has left three messages now on my machine. I tried to call him back twice, reached his assistant, and we fell into in an overtime game of phone tag. “My heart and head are telling me to act now on Darfur,” he said when we finally got in touch. This metaphor is apt — when genocide looms, and governments can’t work with others to prevent…
Yesterday I spoke to AP news at a prayer vigil outside of the Sudanese embassy to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur – a humanitarian crisis which has only gotten worse over the past few weeks and one which is threatening the lives of over two million Darfurians. To my left in the grey suit is Yahya Osman of the Darfur Rehabilitation Project – he is a Darfurian who is doing everything he can to mobilize the U.N. With…
What better way to celebrate than by posting this delicious Heschelalia. Thank you all for visiting and reading, and passing things on.
Monsters and Critics, a news blog in the UK, picked up my essay on stem cells for their OUTSIDE VIEW column. I hope that this piece gets out there — more people need to hear about Sen. Brownback’s campaign to spread misinformation on the progress of stem cell research. In other news, last week I was seated (thanks Alison) at a dinner with Judea Pearl, father of the late Daniel Pearl. Daniel was being honored by the Temple of Understanding….
For all those interested in hearing a group of New Jersey hipsters rocking out to the Nusrat Fathah Ali-Khan – esque version of Psalm 150, this podcast might do the trick. This here rabbi sings his heart out, sometimes on key. Enjoy.
Here is a contest that should win an award for the wackiest interfaith project ever: An art competition entitled the “Faces of God” by the New Seminary that will be put up at the United Nations in which there is an award for: “Best Representation of The Divine Universal Presence US $2000” That’s right folks, now is your chance to draw God and strike it rich! Yes, if you can draw God really well now is your chance to win…
Respecting the Sacred Delivered at the Iftar of the Interfaith Dialog CenterHilton Hotel – Hasbrouck Heights, New JerseyOctober 10, 2006Rabbi Daniel S. Brenner E akshem la. First off, I’d like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Levent Koc, and to all the supporters of the Interfaith Dialog Center. It was my great pleasure to join the Iftar of the Turkish Cultural Center last week in Manhattan at the Waldorf –Astoria and to hear dignitaries such as Senator Hilary Clinton as…
A few of my comments appear today in the Jerusalem Post in an article about the effort to gather 600,000 Jewish folks online for a virtual ‘communal blessing.’ The article is one which relates to a piece I wrote a few years back about the changing nature of the ‘sacred’ in the digital age.