Eric Garner, Peaceful Protests and Leviticus
This week a grand jury on Staten Island, NY decided not to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of 43-year-old Eric Garner. “Whatever you think,” says Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive director of TheWisdomDaily.com, “pick the guy you identify with more and remember the guy you identify with less is every bit as...
Read moreRabbi Brad Hirschfield on Removing Religious Holidays from the School Calendar
This week, the Board of Education in Mongomery County, Maryland voted 7 to 1 to eliminate references to all religious holidays in their published calendar for 2015-2016. They acted in response to a request from the community’s Muslim leaders that the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha be added alongside holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur and Rosh...
Read moreThe Role of Religion in the Ukrainian – Russian Conflict
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield looks at the long history of conflict between Russia & Ukraine and the role of religion & religious leaders can play in choosing to either fan the flames or inspire positive change to build a better future.
Read moreIronic Victory in Greece, NY
“This week, fanatical religion and absolutist atheism lost and the rest of us won” says Brad Hirschfield, President of Clal and co-Founder and Executive Editor of TheWisdomDaily.com. Their town meeting opened with an invocation by local atheist Dan Courtney. The U.S. Supreme Court’s recently ruled in the case of Galloway v. Greece, NY that prayer was acceptable in public...
Read moreFinding Hope for Israel and Gaza
In light of the recent escalation of violence in Israel and the Gaza strip, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield reminds us that whichever side of the argument you stand on, arguing about the facts won’t get us any closer to peace but demonstrating compassion for those lost on both sides, may help us get closer to it. He urges us to...
Read moreMurdered Israeli Students: Life Wins Out Over Death
This week the bodies of 3 Israeli teenagers who had been missing for several weeks were found in a field not far from where they were last seen. The murder of Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Graenkel and Gilad Shaer has ignited passions across the world and from different political camps. But this is not the time for “politics and posturing”...
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Four Life Lessons From the World Cup
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield may not be the world’s biggest soccer fan, but he was inspired by the play of the American team in the FIFA World Cup, and he draws some practical everyday lessons from their performance that we can all use.
Read moreThe Roman Catholic Cardinal With A Jewish Mother
This week The New York Times told a surprising story about the former Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John J. O’Connor – his mother was born Jewish. The story raises questions about religious identity, says Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, President of Clal and co-Founder and Executive Editor of TheWisdomDaily.com, and suggests a discussion of what “dual citizenship” in the realm...
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