Personal Growth

October 19, 2009

Clal makes the gifts of Jewish tradition accessible tools for spiritual growth and development.

Rabbi Irwin Kula Appointed to the Board of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation March 12, 2010

Recognized for his work as global teacher and religious leader with a deep commitment to pluralism, Rabbi Irwin Kula was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to promote the legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Through its many programs, the Foundation supports a culture of world peace and sustainability, offering a global vision for building harmony and justice by reconciliation, forgiveness, and ethical leadership, and to be included in its work is a great honor. For a brief description of Archbishop Tutu’s humanist philosophy, or "Ubuntu," in which he talks about how as a society we do not function alone—we are always in relation to each other, view:


Poet Janet Kirchheimer to visit BSKI March 9, 2010

Janet Kirchheimer was interviewed by Mike Sherwin:"What about poetry resonated with you so strongly? ‘I love the sharpness of it. I love the fact that you can use few words to say so much — how what’s on the page matters and how what’s not on the page matters.’..."

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By Mike Sherwin
from St.LouisJewishLightOnline

Liberating Muslims from "their god" March 7, 2010

"Mosab Yousef says that he ‘crossed all the red lines in (his) society’. While that may be true, the real story of this son of Hamas leader Sheik Hassan Yousef, who spent years spying for Israel’s internal security service, the Shin Bet, is far more complex...."

'Ungodly' act of blaming the victim March 2, 2010

"Pamphlets being handed out in some parts of Virginia tell women and girls, ‘even though nothing is showing, you’re being ungodly’. If that isn’t sufficiently obnoxious, the pamphlet goes on to tell them ‘Scripture tells us that... some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly. So can we really say they were innocent victims?’..."

Basterds “A Mirror to Our Soul” February 28, 2010

"...Rabbi Kula wrote ‘Inglorious Basterds is far more than a Holocaust film or a WWII spaghetti western – all names that simply domesticate and tame the destabilizing and terribly unnerving truth of the film: that we human beings, however good we think we are, have within us the diabolical capacity with intention and justification to...’"

Brad Hirschfield in Australia on You Don't Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right February 22, 2010

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, characterized as a self–confessed "radical pluralist" is interviewed by Rachael Kohn at the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

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From ABC Radio National–Australia, The Spirit of Things,
aired 12/21/2010

Is Obama Appointee Harry Knox an 'Anti-Catholic Bigot'? February 12, 2010

"Rabbi Irwin Kula ... suggested that both sides need to look in a mirror. ‘They are just doing politics in religious drag’ ... meaning that both sides have existing political positions and they’re using religion to ‘prove’ that God is literally on their side... ‘All that this assures is that the other side will be offended. And people who are trying to figure out how to what to do with their lives in a moment of transition are turned away.’.."

A Jewish Valentine's Day February 10, 2010

"Perhaps the notion of a Jewish Valentine's Day sounds odd. After all, Valentine's Day combines the cultures of pagan Rome and early Christianity, so where does Judaism fit in? ..."

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From Windows & Doors, Brad Hirschfield’s daily blog on Beliefnet

Elie Wiesel Wouldn't Cry for Ahmadinejad. Would God? February 9, 2010

"...I find this response entirely understandable, disturbing that it was said, and contrary to a powerful spiritual teaching from Jewish tradition about the emotions we attach to fighting against that which we think of as evil.
..."

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From Windows & Doors, Brad Hirschfield’s daily blog on Beliefnet

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