Religion: A burned down treehouse and forgiveness
In the summer of 1975, my friends and I built a treehouse in a large tree located in an open field near our homes. This was the best place to be a kid. All of the neighborhood hung out there.
During that same summer, there...
Rabbi Mendel Liberow: Four things I learned from the Super Bowl
With the football season coming to a close, it’s a great time to apply the wise Jewish teaching that everything one encounters can teach us a lesson in how to serve G-d. Here are four lessons I learned:
Every Player is Crucial
The star quarterbacks, wide...
Religion: The true meaning of rachamim, compassion
Jewish teachings emphasize the importance of “rachamim,” which is usually translated as compassion or mercy. We first read about rachamim when it is used in Exodus 34:6-7 in the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the 13 attributes used to describe God. In the...
Religion: Building our future together—an interfaith perspective
Through my Interfaith work with the Interfaith CommUNITY of Santa Clara (ICSC) and the Interfaith Clergy Association (ICA) I have many opportunities to engage with many aspects of Interfaith life—its celebration of the diversity of culture, faith expressions, food, music, art and more.
Recently in...
Religion: Can faith make a difference?
The MLK Jr. Interfaith Service at St. Mary’s in Gilroy earlier this month was a beautiful example of why different faith traditions bother to take the time to come together when we are so different. The truth is that our differences can make our...
Religion: A profile of peace
Very little is known about the Amish Community. The term “Amish” conjures visions of people who are anti-progress, who are against technology, and who live in the 21st century like our forefathers did in the 18th century. In 2006, the world caught a glimpse...
Rabbi Mendel Liberow: Why I’m thankful for my Israel trip that wasn’t
I was supposed to be in Israel today.
To be precise, this morning, I was going to wake up in a quaint hotel near the Old City of Safed, enjoy a delicious breakfast al fresco while taking in the mountaintop views, tour the Artists' Quarter,...
Religion: The dream is still alive in us
Coming from another country I found it difficult to understand the problems of racism as it had been experienced in the United States in the past. Despite apparent advances and significant changes in recent decades, the reality of racism remains. And this is difficult...
Religion: This is how it should be!
In November, I attended a lovely interfaith Thanksgiving service at Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill. It was a gathering of clergy and laity from the many faith communities in Gilroy and Morgan Hill. In addition to the hosting Jewish congregation, there were representatives from...
Religion: A time of review, a time of renewal
The end of the year usually brings with it a sense of reflection and evaluation. This year has been more challenging, as we experienced the difficulties of a global uncertainty. Many have struggled with anxiety, fear, loneliness and loss in many ways.
Consider the start...