Religion: Faith and the work of being neighbors
At a time when the name of God is too often used to inflame fear, sanctify division, bless political resentment or lend sacred over to violence, people of faith are called to offer something better to public life: humility, deeper understanding and a renewed...
Learn about the history of Middle East tensions at Congregation Emeth presentation
Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill will host Dr. Jeffrey Blutinger, a professor at California State University, Long Beach, to give a presentation on the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The presentation will take place 2:30-4:30pm. Congregation Emeth is located at 17835 Monterey Road.
The presentation...
Religion: A talk with Albert Einstein
On May 6, 1947, my grandfather, Clarence Boyer, walked into the Princeton, New Jersey office of Albert Einstein. He approached the woman behind the desk and asked to speak to the man who changed the way we think of time and space.
“Do you have...
Religion: Life after Easter: faith in the ordinary
For followers of Jesus, Easter arrives each year with beauty and intention—sunrise services, full rooms, hopeful songs and the deep reminder that life can emerge even from death. These moments matter. They lift us, ground us and reconnect us to what is most true.
They...
Religion: The answer I wish I had given about Easter
When I was just out of high school, serving a mission for my church, a man once told me that he couldn’t believe that Christ’s death and suffering was all that special. He was a veteran who had witnessed the horrors of war.
He had...
Religion: Living in freedom and without fear
The Jewish holiday of Passover begins Wednesday night, April 1, 2026. On Passover night, Jews conduct a communal meal in their homes, called a seder. The word seder means “order,” because the meal and its accompanying rituals are conducted in a special prescribed order.
We...
Religion: Children during war
My grandson, Max, is 12 years old. He has a great interest in the history of World War II. He is especially interested in the wartime in Europe and the rise of Nazi Germany—mostly in the machines of warfare.
Maybe he gets it from me....
Religion: Fasting promotes spiritual solidarity
Last Tuesday, I was invited by some Muslim friends to their home for an Iftar, the meal that ends the fast each day of Ramadan. It was a happy event and it is a happy coincidence that this year the month of Ramadan, the...
Religion: Spreading hope in Jamaica
I am always joyful when I get the opportunity to help someone in need, especially when I know what I do will be just what that person needs. When I heard about how hard Jamaica was hit by Hurricane Melissa, I started looking for...
Religion: ‘Perhaps you were created for such a time as this’
Think about a time in your life where you displayed courage. What gave you the strength to engage in this action?
The Latin root of the word courage is “cor” which means heart. In Judaism, the name for courage is Ometz Lev—Heart Strength.
In a few...









