The text we studied at our first Mussar class, August 25…
“On Practice and Patience”
We aspire to wholeness, a lofty goal indeed. How much time does it take to reach that state of wholeness? Who knows? Perhaps after forty years of practice, perhaps after fifty or sixty? A well-known saying of Rabbi Israel Salanter: “It is [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
“Practice and Patience”
Posted in Uncategorized on August 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Domestic Partner Benefits are in the El Paso City Budget
Posted in Uncategorized on August 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Today was the vote on the city budget, and 42 people came out to speak for and against that element of the budget that would grant unmarried domestic partners, including gays and lesbians, the right to buy into the city’s health plan. As was the case last week, most of the opposition was religious in [...]
Another “religious” view of domestic partner benefits
Posted in Uncategorized on August 18, 2009 | 2 Comments »
I spoke at City Hall this morning, during “Call to the Public” portion of the Council meeting. These were my words:
Good morning, Mr. Mayor, Representatives, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.
I’ve come here out of a sense that the debate over whether or not to extend benefits to domestic partners who are not [...]
“Textual Harassment” on display at City Hall
Posted in Uncategorized on August 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Christian theologian Mary Ann Tolbert called it “textual harassment,” the misuse of the Bible to reject other human beings. That phrase comes to mind as I consider the parade of sanctimony at City Hall on Tuesday. Last week it was Syrian Rabbis making me feel ashamed for my chosen profession; this week, the shame is [...]
If you want to evangelize this rabbi, skip the CDs
Posted in Uncategorized on July 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
So I got a call from a reporter at the El Paso Times on Friday afternoon. She was writing a story about a Texas Baptist initiative to put the Gospel in the homes of 10 million Texans by Easter, 2010. I responded to her question, affirmed my response and, reaffirmed it. I had the sense [...]
Wiesel on Rashi
Posted in Uncategorized on July 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Nice interview, and I do look forward to reading the book (out on August 11).
El Paso friends of Fair Trade
Posted in Uncategorized on July 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
A nice article from this morning’s El Paso Times (full article after the jump) prompts me to put in a plug for the El Paso Friends of Fair Trade, and for Temple’s fair trade coffee partnership with Mirembe Kawomera (“Delicious Peace”) coffee. Not just a cup…a just cup!
Making Jewish life available
Posted in Uncategorized on May 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I enjoyed this article by Paul Golin of the Jewish Outreach Institute, which first appeared in the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. I’m glad that Temple Mount Sinai has long been one of those few congregations that doesn’t “charge” people to pray on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and I agree with Golin’s main point:
If we [...]
May “Messages from the Mountain”
Posted in Uncategorized on May 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Scribd may be my new favorite Web 3.0 platform
“Dreams of Peace” a contest winner
Posted in Uncategorized on May 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
My last post, “Proud Papa Kvelling,” announced that my daughter had won a lyric-writing competition sponsored by Babaganewz. Well, it’s been a good week for the Bachs. Today, I learned that my song “Dreams of Peace” was a finalist in the Peace Music Foundation’s “International Peace Song Contest.” I’m really excited to hear all of [...]
