When a natural disaster occurs in the United States and I receive a request for help, I don’t ask for specifics about whose lives are in danger. It doesn’t matter their age, skin color, ethnicity, religion or political viewpoints. Americans reach out and give each other a helping hand. I…
I’m having a hard time getting my head around an issue that’s been featured in recent news reports and opinion pieces. My problem? I can understand both sides of the issue and, while I think each side makes good points, I can also see when their choices are problematic. This might make m…
History is defined as “the study of past events, particularly in human affairs.” But what parts of history tell us the most about the past? Should its focus be great events – for example, wars and revolutions – and the biographies of those who made them happen? Or should we be studyi…
by Rabbi Rachel Esserman
During my years as book reviewer for The Reporter, I’ve read more World War II and Holocaust themed novels than I can count. What amazes me is that there are still so many stories to tell and so many different ways to relate them. Some of the novels in this review…
by Rabbi Rachel Esserman
One answer to the question of why there are so many different interpretations of the biblical text is that people are intrigued by the gaps in the stories – the parts that are either not clear or left out. Everyone from the ancient rabbis to contemporary novelists…
