Why is this rabbi learning Arabic? Read on. When the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York honored me with an invitation to join its recent multi-faith and multi-racial community leadership study trip to Israel, our goals quickly became clear. In addition to strengthening relationships among public officials, nonprofit directors and spiritual leaders, the JCRC trip aimed… Continue reading Why This Rabbi is Learning Arabic (And Why All Rabbis Should)
Category: The Wisdom Daily
What Men In Jail Can Teach Us About Joy
Actually, it didn’t happen in a jail, which typically houses shorter-term detentions. It happened in Sing Sing Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, where some inmates spend decades on custodial sentences for the most serious felonies. Behind cinder block, metal bars and barbed wire isn’t typically… Continue reading What Men In Jail Can Teach Us About Joy
What Judge Abdus-Salaam’s Death Teaches Us About Assumptions
On April 12, 2017, the New York Police Department found Sheila Abdus-Salaam, Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, floating dead in the Hudson River. She was eulogized on May 26, 2017, as an exemplary jurist of intelligence and compassion, and a trailblazer – the first African American woman to serve on New… Continue reading What Judge Abdus-Salaam’s Death Teaches Us About Assumptions
Lessons learned from saying yes to a differently-abled bar mitzvah boy
“They” said “Jon” couldn’t possibly manage a bar mitzvah. Jon is a teen with physical, cognitive and emotional special needs, whose parents heard “can’t” countless times from countless people in so-called authority. “They” are some well-intentioned members of a spiritual community, similar to many communities with needs exceeding the capacity of valiant but over-extended volunteers. When… Continue reading Lessons learned from saying yes to a differently-abled bar mitzvah boy
In a lonely world, virtual gatherings can provide comfort
Jennifer was in Florida mourning her mother's death. Friends and colleagues were literally around the globe – from Israel, to all four continental U.S. time zones, to New Zealand. Geographically so far away, what could we do? Enter the Internet of Compassion. We met by video, at a time corresponding to Florida evening (Israel wee… Continue reading In a lonely world, virtual gatherings can provide comfort
The value of acknowledging misperceptions
Here’s a true story about false impressions – and the wisdom (and holy risk) of voicing them aloud. In my day job, I preside in hundreds of judicial proceedings. I take seriously a judge’s ethical duty to avoid partisan politics, so that all can feel that they get a fair shake. For this reason, I don’t… Continue reading The value of acknowledging misperceptions
The Light Behind the Darkness of a Holocaust Survivor’s Story
It was December 25, 2016 – Christmas Day and Chanukkah. Volunteers gathered with local seniors to sing songs, serve holiday foods and feed some who couldn’t feed themselves. Like the jelly-filled doughnuts we rolled from chair to chair on a distribution cart, the scene was simple and sweet – a chance to give back during… Continue reading The Light Behind the Darkness of a Holocaust Survivor’s Story
David Evan Markus 