Stories,photos

186 results total, viewing 131 - 140

I am not a subscriber to The Wall Street Journal; so I was somewhat surprised to find a copy of this paper’s Oct. 3-4 weekend Review section lying at the door to my condo late one Saturday evening. After a quick glance at the front-page … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 11/27/15

The breath of God

One of the majestic phrases in the opening verses of Bereisheet, the first book of our Hebrew Bible, reads, “...v’ruach Elohim m’rachefet al p’nai hamayim,” which can be translated as “...and the breath of God was sweeping over the face … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 11/13/15

God is the question

I have read “Googling for God” over and over again, and I still can’t figure out whether or not Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s front page opinion piece in the Sept. 20 issue of “The New York Times Sunday Review” is meant to be taken … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 10/29/15

‘My So-Called Enemy’

“My So-Called Enemy” is a feature-length documentary, available on DVD, that speaks to my mind, my heart, my soul. Lisa Gossels, director and producer of the feature-length 2010 film, explores the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 10/15/15

On the uses of violence in fiction

Providence-based novelist Jon Land writes the kind of action-packed books I can’t put down. Once I begin a Land novel, I accept the fact that I will be staying up late the following few nights, turning pages in order to find out what happens … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 10/1/15

Giving the Arab his name

“Mother died today. Or, maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure. The telegram from the Home says: YOUR MOTHER PASSED AWAY. FUNERAL TOMORROW. DEEP SYMPATHY. Which leaves the matter doubtful; it could have been yesterday.” … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 9/17/15

Ta-Nehisi Coates cri de coeur

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ recently published “Between the World and Me” (Spiegel & Grau, 2015) is a cri de coeur, an outpouring of heart, an unburdening of soul. Coates, a 40-year-old national correspondent for The Atlantic, has … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 9/3/15

How to talk about the Iran deal

On June 9, the Israel Task Force of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island sponsored an interactive program titled “Can We Talk About Israel.” According to promotional material, the purpose of … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 8/21/15

The stain on T.S. Eliot

“April is the cruelest month, breeding/Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing/Memory and desire, stirring/Dull roots with spring rain.” So begins T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” (1922), not infrequently cited as the most influential … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 8/6/15

In the company of undying texts

If all goes well, next May I will be attending the 50th reunion of the Columbia College class of ’66: half a century since my graduation! In preparation for this once-in-a-lifetime event, I have recently reread the six diaries I kept during my … more

Rabbi James Rosenberg | 6/18/15