Rabbi Ballaban’s Monthly Column
Makor Year Off to Wonderful Start for All Ages
Makor Year Off to Wonderful Start for All AgesBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban On Sunday, September 23rd, we began another exciting year of Makor at Temple Beth Or! Our first day was action-packed, and it was lovely to see parents and children who had not been together for much of the summer reunite. It also was […]
Jewish Calendar Marks Many Occasions
Jewish Calendar Marks Many OccasionsBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban Most Jews are aware of two new years we celebrate per calendar year: Rosh Hashanah in the fall and the secular new year, on January 1st, in the winter. Knowledgeable Jews may also note that there is a third new year that comes each spring—Tu BiShevat—which marks […]
Human Beings Are Not Bargaining Chips
Human Beings Are Not Bargaining ChipsBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban Tuvia’s mother was wailing and tearing her hair. His father was sobbing. His sisters were terrified. “Tuvia, my dear son,” his mother cried. “My only boy, why are they tearing you away from me?” Tuvia was taken, half-asleep, to a large house where many frightened, wide-eyed […]
Fact vs. Narrative: Road to Peace Needs Both
Facts vs. Narrative: Road to Peace Needs BothBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban “When peace comes, we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons.” As I sat heavy-hearted, reflecting on May’s bloody clashes between the IDF […]
Never Stop Learning a Very Jewish Attitude
Never Stop Learning a Very Jewish AttitudeBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban It is finally May, and our last day of Makor is right around the corner! Our last day of Makor will be on May 13th; on that day our kids will do some important wrapping up of their final class projects and will get to […]
Jewish Tradition Confronts Power with Truth
November 1, 2018
Jewish Tradition Confronts Power with TruthBy Rabbi Ari Ballaban In the wake of the national spectacle that was last month’s confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, there have been many people around the country who have wondered if the #metoo movement should now be considered dead. This emotionally charged question is liable to […]