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Jun 21, 2018, 10:55 PM

From Hacky Sacks to Kippot: On the Importance of Always Thinking Mitzvahs

How did it happen that 50+ indigenous Mayan women in Guatemala are producing Fair Trade hundreds, thousands of colorful kippot (and some Tallitot and challah covers)? I have traveled four times with Maya Works (mayaworks.org) to see them with my...

Jun 6, 2018, 6:07 PM

Mitzvah-Protection

There are additional positives to being engaged in Tikkun Olam. Most striking is a statement in the Talmud by Rabbi Elazar that the Mitzvah-person is protected both en route and on the way back from the Mitzvah: It was stated,...

Jun 4, 2018, 9:46 AM

The Benefits of Doing Tikkun Olam with Money, Personal Effort, or a Combination of Both

INTRODUCTION Rabbi Yehoshua, a First Century sage and teacher of the great Rabbi Akiva, made the following somewhat astonishing statement: It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: The poor person 34:8) It would seem natural to link this directly to...

May 28, 2018, 12:33 PM

91 Possible Reasons Why You May Have Decided To Do More Tikkun Olam, Part II

Part two of "Reasons Why You May Have Decided To Do More Tikkun Olam, In No Particular Order of Importance. " Here are the remaining 50. The first 41 are in a separate blog post. 42. I always had a...

May 28, 2018, 11:27 AM

91 possible reasons you may decide to do more Tikkun Olam — part 1

Reasons Why You May Have Decided To Do More Tikkun Olam, In No Particular Order of Importance (Part I) (Here are the first 41. The remaining 50 will be in a separate blog post) I figure what good's a clean house...

Mar 31, 2018, 1:54 AM

Land with the highest number of Seders: Who wins?

For the next seven days, three lands will be competing for one honor. The three lands are Igbo-land, where the biggest Israelite Diaspora calls its homeland since it left Israel thousands of years ago. The second is Israel, the...

Mar 22, 2018, 5:46 AM

March for our lives: how Jewish tradition heals trauma

In 2015, I crafted an ELI Talk about how Jewish ritual supports healing. It resonated at the time with people who felt stressed out by the demands of everyday life, yet the talk is even more relevant today. After all,...

Mar 5, 2018, 1:17 PM

For or Against? — K’neged Kulam

This is a guest post, by Arnie Draiman, who has worked with me for more than 25 years. Each morning, even before we begin Pesukei D'zimra (the first part of the morning prayers), we have a section called Birchot HaShachar...

Jan 19, 2018, 10:51 AM

Freedom and justice don't just happen

Illustrative: Leaders in a Vietnam war protest stand in silent prayer in Arlington National Cemetery, February 6, 1968, including Rabbi Abraham Heschel, and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (AP Photo/Harvey Georges)

The triumph over the tyranny of Pharaoh strengthens our resolve to root out modernity's plagues and rulers

Dec 31, 2017, 11:42 PM

Forging a connection between making money and making a difference

Man uses a laptop (Photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90)

It’s not often you hear talk about global capitalism and social change in the same breath

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