The Passover Seder is a time when families get together. However, often because of the long readings from the Haggadah the Seder can become difficult – people become edgy, arguments can break out and the whole experience can become rather disheartening. In order to ensure that the Seder can be…
Month: March 2006
Israeli Election Results – We Must Regain Our Fighting Spirit
As the polls close in Israel I am reminded of when, in February 2001, Ariel Sharon became Prime Minister. Sheindy and I were living in Israel at the time. As I left my apartment in central Jerusalem the morning after Ariel Sharon’s overwhelming victory I was stopped by a television…
God: The Prototype Husband
My wife Sheindy has a simple philosophy for increased productivity: “People should first do the necessary and essential chores they do not enjoy and only then go on to do the more pleasurable jobs.” She maintains that having something to look forward to when one is done infuses the chores…
Cartoon Riots and An Interfaith Dialog
This week in Lahore, Pakistan, religious parties protesting the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad by various European newspapers ransacked a McDonald’s outlet and set fire to the outlets of KFC and a foreign cellular service provider. Demonstrators also burned vehicles and about 2,000 sat near the Punjab Assembly, followed…
Deconstuctionist Judaism – When Is It Authentic?
Since The Algemeiner Journal published my article about Chasidic reggae singer Matisyahu entitled, “Matisayhu: Rabbi or Rebel” the article has appeared on a number of Internet blogs. First it appeared on a well known virulently anti- website where the author tried to use my article to compare to Sabbatianism and its successor…
Dr Derek Brackman OBM
My father, Dr. Derek Brackman, passed away in his sleep in the fall of 2004. His passing was very sudden and totally unexpected; I was shocked and devastated. Dad was a person who knew what he wanted. He knew that he wanted to become a scientist from the age of…
Respecting Grief
In this week’s Torah portion we read (Deuteronomy 14:1) how Moses tells the children of Israel: ‘you are children of God your Lord. Do not mutilate yourselves, and do not make a bald patch in the middle of your head as a sign of mourning. You are a nation consecrated…
Is Radicalisation Bad?
Radicals and radicalisation are the words on everyone’s lips. People are trying to understand the process of how normal people become radicalised to the extent that they become suicide bombers. They therefore talk about radicalisation as if it is always a terrible thing. The truth is however that anyone who…
God’s Response to Reality TV
In the UK Millions of people have tuned in on a daily basis to watch a group of ordinary people living their lives. Big Brother fervour had grabbed the people in the UK once again. But hang on, what is so attractive about watching ordinary people doing ordinary things? How…
Please Don’t Kill Yourself
We live in a world where we need to be continuously reminded to look after ourselves. A world where although we know eating lots fast food is not good for us, we still need reminding by our doctor. Although the youth are aware of the detrimental effects of promiscuity and…