We all have tsuris (troubles). Some harsher, some more manageable. But we all have tsuris. Most of us are searching for some semblance of sanity in the midst of it. Seeking perhaps those wise words which show us a way beyond the tsuris. You might find your wisdom in self-help books, at the therapist’s, at …
Rabbi’s Buddy Stuns Calabasas
Dr. Andy Krasnoff writes: Rabbi Ron Stern of Stephen S. Wise Temple was our Scholar-in-Residence this past week. A colleague of Rabbi Paul Kipnes from rabbinic school in New York, the two have remained close friends for many years. R. Stern spoke at Friday Shabbat services about helping congregants deal with the death of loved …
Time Magazine Skews Debate Over Science and Religion
Last Monday night, Rabbi Ronald Stern of Stephen S. Wise Temple taught about the interrelationship between science and religion. He believes that overlap between the two disciplines is important for our society and world, but we must be very careful not to misconsture the nature of that overlap. The article on God vs. Science in …
Comforting the Afflicted: Making Comfort Bags for Abused Kids at Mitzvah Day
I write all this in the aftermath of a most incredible Mitzvah Day at Congregation Or Ami. I am kvelling (beaming proudly) about our response to one problem in the world: the pain of children removed by necessity from their homes in the middle of the night to escape neglect or abuse. Often leaving with …
Our World Needs Some Fixing!
Children are starving, neglected, and abused. Adults are struggling to pull themselves out of the poverty or pay for the medical care their families need. Whole cities are trying to rebuild after devastation unimaginable. Our soldiers spread out around the world, fighting for our values, yet stumbling about through the fog of war. Genocide is …
Is There an Afterlife?
I’m new to this blogging thing. This is my first try. I’d love to post my recent e-Learning with Rabbi Kipnes newsletter, or at least an excerpt. Here goes a try. In a recent article, I wrote: Is There an Afterlife? Thoughts on the Journey from this Life to… What? We each are on a …