Judaism

Judaism

Michael of Babble

The part I've feared would never happen about a.) becoming Jewish, and b.) going to rabbinic school is coming to pass. I'm starting to understand spoken Hebrew.

Judaism

Ice Cream Won't Raise Youth Engagement

Our children aren't poorly versed in organized synagogue life. They just aren't interested. And given how religiously checked out their adult role models can be, why would we expect things to be any different?

Judaism

Shoefall

Maybe I haven't figured out why I want to be a rabbi, and maybe I never will. But I think I've at least figured out why I want to be a rabbi. So here's how that makes sense.

Judaism

"Why don't Jews believe in Jesus?"

Friday, I shared a bus shelter with a woman who looked at my yarmulke, walked over, and asked, 'Let me just put it out there--why don't Jews believe in Jesus?' Here's what I told her.

Judaism

To Be Sure

Another Father's Day come and gone. I guess after forty, I feel the regrets I thought I could live with for the rest of my life with greater intensity as the rest of my life starts to arrive.

Judaism

My Rabbinic School Personal Statement

A wise woman once said to me, 'The inherent nature of Jewish tradition is to wrestle with the status quo, not to be the status quo.' I have her to thank for inspiring the personal statement that I submitted with my successful rabbinic school application. Here is that statement.

Judaism

Is It Idolatrous to Claim Certainty about Religious "Facts"?

The more we try to lessen the struggle and claim certainty as Jews, the more we needlessly cut ourselves off from each other.

Judaism

How Does Rabbinic School Change You?

How much of a rabbi is the person she or he was before beginning rabbinic school? How much of a rabbi fundamentally changes along the way? And maybe more importantly, stays the same?

Judaism

Crashing the Jewish Survival Idol

Jews of all ages together, doing Jewish together, for the sake of Jews of all ages. Could that be the real remedy for the ongoing crash of Jewish affiliation?

Judaism

And Here's What Happened Next

So a week ago I applied to rabbinic school. Here's what I learned today.

Judaism

So I Officially Applied to Rabbinic School

I've either just done the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life, or five and a half years from now I'll be Rabbi Doyle.

Judaism

'Twas the Night Before Mailing My Rabbinic School Application

No one has the right to tell you who you can and cannot love. So why do denominational rabbinic programs attempt to make that decision for their students?