Policing
Promises Broken, Promises Kept
In Parshat Vayera, we are reminded of the crucial role water plays in the life of all human communities. In Genesis 21, we read about the banishment of Hagar and Yishmael from their home, and how God revealed a well of water in Hagar’s moment of despair. Immediately following this, the Torah describes a negotiation...
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A Prayer for Ferguson
Help us to lie down, Dear Lord our God, in peace, and let us rise again, to life… This summer, I heard that a young black man had been killed by a police officer. The sad thing is that I tuned the story out. I was too caught up in whatever I was doing to...
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From Moses to Today: Accountability and Transparency in Leadership
Brandon Tate-Brown, a 26 year-old African-American man, was, according to his mother and friends, finally putting his life back together. After spending some time in jail for aggressive behaviors, he was trying to rehabilitate himself—working at a new job and finally moving into an apartment of his own. On December 15, 2014, Brandon Tate-Brown was...
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Cleaning up the mess together
One of my favorite programs at my synagogue is our B’nei Mitzvah family retreat. At the beginning of the summer, we take our incoming seventh grade families to camp for the weekend. It’s remarkable: relationships between kids change, parents get to know each other, and, after the Bar or Bat Mitzvah, we keep most of...
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