Free Speech vs. Protection Against Intolerance
It’s been 50 Years since the Free Speech Movement was born at the University of California Berkley when students protested a ban on on-campus political activity. Free speech is again being contested at UC Berkley, where a proposed new policy against intolerance was criticized for not doing enough to protect the students and didn’t address the increase of anti-Semitic...
Read moreAmazon, Radical Innovation and the Value of the Sabbath
Amazon has become an essential part of life to many Americans. And when a recent New York Times article shone a light on the corporate culture of the company, the outcry was immediate and loud. It’s important that we consumers acknowledge our role in the Amazon phenomenon, says Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor...
Read moreCecil, The Dentist and Morality
The worldwide reaction to the shooting of a beloved lion, Cecil, in Zimbabwe by an American dentist has been all over news channels, late night talk shows and the social media sphere. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdom Daily, calls for some perspective on the story.”What’s going on when people are obsessed...
Read moreLafayette Shooting: Let Our Hearts Break Open
On July 24, a shooter opened fire at a movie theater in Lafayette, LA, killing three people and injuring nine. Amid the grief, the gun debate is engaged anew. But instead of retreating to entrenched positions, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdomDaily.com suggests that we “let our hearts break open and admit...
Read moreBrad Hirschfield on Pluto and Touching the Sacred
This week, the NASA spacecraft New Horizons sent back pictures of Pluto which were stunning in their beauty and surprising in what they revealed. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdomDaily.com gives four reasons he loves this story.
Read moreThe Confederate Flag, Symbols and Scapegoats
In the aftermath of the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, the move to ban the display of the Confederate flag has gained momentum. The flag is a symbol of hatred to some and honor to others, says Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdomDaily.com, but we should be wary of...
Read moreFranklin Graham vs. Wells Fargo Bank: When Faith and Commerce Meet
Rev. Franklin Graham attracted headlines and criticism this week when he withdrew the accounts of his non-profit, Samaritan’s Purse, from Wells Fargo Bank over an ad that depicted a lesbian couple adopting a child. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdomDaily.com, disagrees with Graham’s actions, but believes he has something to teach...
Read moreCaitlyn Jenner, the ESPY’s and the Value of Awards
ESPN controversially announced this week that Caitlyn Jenner will receive their Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year’s ESPYs in July. Social media erupted with opinions of the choice, and suggestions for worthier candidates. But awards are funny things, says Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, president of Clal and co-founder and executive editor of TheWisdomDaily.com, “they tend to tell us...
Read moreWhere Was God?
After this week’s deadly Amtrak accident where 8 people were killed and more than 200 were injured, many people have asked Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, “Where was God?” “We’re asking for an explanation of the otherwise inexplicably bad”, says Rabbi Hirschfield and that “God is in our own goodness, in our own compassion, and in our own caring.”
Read moreWhat About Nepal?
As stories of unrest in Baltimore dominate the media, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield speculates about the quick disappearance of the earthquake in Nepal, where more than 5,000 people are dead, from the news and consciousness of Americans. Part of the problem, says Hirschfield, is that the Nepalese government does not know how to respond, so aid isn’t arriving where it...
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