The Shalom Center - A prophetic voice in Jewish, multireligious, & American life

Limiting the Power of Kings

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:57:49 -0400

The Fourth of July, the Torah, and the Presidency

The Fourth of July is a holy day in the liturgical calendar of the American people, and a time of memory and hope for many people in many nations - not for American national reasons, but because it recalls a great modern document and action on behalf of human rights and the calling to account of an unaccountable, irresponsible ruler.

In Jewish custom, special Torah readings and Prophetic passages are set aside to be read and discussed on the Jewish festivals. In the customs of the movement for Jewish renewal, beginning with havurah (fellowship) retreats in the mid-1970s and continuing in the Kallot (gatherings) sponsored every other summer by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, it has become a joyful custom to honor this festival in a special way:

Jewish Leaders call for "Climate Healing Shabbat" at Noah/Rainbow Torah-time, Oct 23-24

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:32:37 -0400

Initiated by The Shalom Center; endorsed by Rabbis Steve Gutow, David Saperstein, & Nina Beth Cardin; by Nancy Ratzan, Nigel Savage, Richard Schwartz, Ellen Bernstein, Rabbi Peter Knobel, Jo Ellen Green Kaiser, Rabbi Michael Lerner, and many others. (See list below.)

Says an old Southern Black song: "God gave Noah the Rainbow Sign; No more water, the fire next time." In our generation, the Flood of Fire has come upon us in the climate crisis of global scorching and rising of the seas. We ourselves -- all of us -- must build the Ark to save humanity and all endangered life-forms. The Rainbow Sign calls us to this work of transformation.

Will M.E. Peace => Internal values crisis among American Jews?

Tue, 12 May 2009 16:39:55 -0400

If the US Insists on M. E. Peace --
Will There Be a Crisis over Values & Identity
Within American Jewish Life?

Is the American Jewish community headed for a deep internal split over our values and commitments if the US and Israeli governments collide over whether to be serious about a two-state peace settlement?

The Israeli-Palestinian collision, since Hamas rocket attacks on parts of Israel and the Israeli bombing and invasion of Gaza, has now reached a crisis point. It has become both a special case of the collision between some elements of Islam and some elements of the West -- – and a burning source of anger on both sides that makes harder any peaceful resolution of issues between the West (especially the US) and some Muslim states and organizations.

Torturing the Image of God

Wed, 06 May 2009 09:02:22 -0400

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow

How are we to respond to a recent report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life that the more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of alleged terrorists?

According to Pew, 54% of Americans who attend church services at least once a week said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42% of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed.

The study did not include synagogue-attending Jews or Muslims, Hispanic Catholics, or Black Protestants (all of whom might be expected, out of the historical life-experience of their groups with being tortured, to oppose it more vigorously).

Healing the Earth & Blessing the Sun:A Decade, not a Day

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 06:23:54 -0400

Dear readers and members of The Shalom Center,

Many many of us agree that the threat of climate disaster is the most important danger facing the human race and the web of life upon our planet. Many of us have noticed that in the great and archetypal story of the Exodus, Pharaoh's arrogance does as much damage to the earth itself – "the Plagues" -- as to his own society.

But many of us feel blown away by other crises that seem more urgent: --

The world-wide economic collapse and our own loss of jobs and savings; worsening bloodshed between Israel and its neighbors; the danger of a bloody quagmire in Afghanistan; the AIDS epidemic in Africa and elsewhere; failures in health care and education in the US; crises over immigration; rising rates of gun violence; denial of full human rights to gays and lesbians ….

Which Strategy to Heal the Middle East? Naomi Klein & Arthur Waskow

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:47:15 -0400

[During February 2009, a national progressive newspaper called In These Times invited me, Arthur, to take part in a conversation with Naomi Klein, a well-known progressive political analyst and writer, with the intention of transcribing it and publishing an edited version approved by both of us.

The occasion was that Klein, in the wake of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, had for the first time joined the campaign for a "BDS strategy" ("Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions") directed at Israel. I assume ITT asked me because they knew I supported a very different strategy for bringing peace to the Middle East. (Both of us agreed that the crucial change must be a vigorous, committed, and active US insistence on full regional peace among Israel, Palestine, all Arab states, Iran, and the US itself.)

BEYOND GAZA & THE ISRAELI ELECTIONS: TOWARD AN ABRAHAMIC PEACE

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:12:08 -0500

Dear fellow seekers of peace, justice, and healing for the earth, This letter looks at two levels of Abrahamic peacemaking: intergovernmental action in the broader Middle East, with a special focus on change in US policy; and building an alliance among Jews, Muslims, and Christians inside the US to change American policy.

A pre-Israeli-election version of this essay appeared in the on-line editions of Sojourners (progressive evangelical Christian) magazine and The American Muslim and will be appearing in Jewish Currents (print) as well as, with post-election additional comment, in The Shalom Report -- an Abrahamic trifecta! So far as I know, it's the first time any such article has appeared in journals of all three communities.

Brief video: Facing the Pharaohs of Global Scorching

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:10:56 -0400

By Rabbi Arthur Waskow

My life-partner Rabbi Phyllis Berman and I spent a week in Sweden at the Interfaith Summit on the Climate Crisis.

Watch the live 5-minute video of my "words of hope" for the thousand people who filled the Uppsala Cathedral, intertwining a vision of empowering ourselves and drawing on the Spirit. Then read the message just below about the FREEDOM SEDER FOR THE EARTH that the Shalom Center is organizing, and how you yourself can face the Pharaohs of today.

Shalom Quilt

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:16:33 -0400

New Curriculum & Ceremony for Teens on Climate Crisis : ELIJAH'S COVENANT BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:49:53 -0400

The Shalom Center has published a curriculum and ceremony for Bar/ Bat Mitzvah and confirmation-age youth and families, on how the younger and older generations can work together to heal the earth from the dangers of global climate crisis. Below you will find testimonials about it from leaders of Jewish education and action. Below that you will find a coupon for ordering copies of the 60-page "Elijah's Covenant Between The Generations," and below that the Introduction by Rabbis Arthur Waskow and Jeff Sultar.

"Elijah's Covenant" [Brit Eliyahu] looks like an exciting and creative educational venture. Congratulations to the Shalom Center for this positive contribution toward raising environmental awareness among Jewish young people."

Please support the "Tugboat Shalom"!

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:54:09 -0400

Dear Co-searcher, Co-builder, in our work for peace and healing for the world --

The Shalom Center acts like a tugboat nudging and noodging large ocean liners to move in a new direction. Three ocean liners –- the official American Jewish world, the multireligious world, and the (smaller) world of the Left and the antiwar movement. (Details below, in this message.)

This "Tugboat Shalom" is doing YOUR work. To do it we need YOUR support. PLEASE CLICK ON THE "DONATE NOW" BUTTON ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THIS PAGE, NEAR THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

Our tugboat has successfully "noodged" these ocean liners, in three "oceans" we have been navigating:

New learning, New feeling, New celebrating

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:59:37 -0400

Are you exploring how to renew your thoughts, your feelings, your spirit -- your life? Then check out these books from The Shalom Center:

Have you and your brother, or your sister, been having problems with each other? Want to learn how two brothers-in-conflict became deep friends?

Then order the book Becoming Brothers by Howard Waskow & Arthur Waskow from The Shalom Center. Just $7.95 + pstg & handling (see below).

Want to understand the history and the spiritual meaning of those Jewish life-cycle ceremonies you attend, feeling puzzled all the time? Want to shape a ceremony of your own to celebrate a major change in your own life?

Green Menorah Covenant Coalition: Personal, Congregational, & Public-Policy Changes to Avert Global Scorching

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:56:51 -0500

To save our planet, crops, water supply, & coastlines from the ravages of climate crisis & global scorching, The Shalom Center urges these seven directions of PERSONAL & POLICY change at all governmental levels, corporate and labor-union decisions, and household / congregational action. To work for these policy changes, write GreenMenorah@shalomctr.org or Shalom Center, 6711 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia PA 19119.

1. Making carbon pay the real costs of its effect on climate:

Personal change: households set 5% of our annual coal, oil, & gasoline costs as tzedakah ("charitable" contributions) to support sustainable-energy activism.

A JEWISH CALL TO HEAL GOD'S WORLD BY WEAVING WORLD COMMUNITY

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:36:31 -0400

Dear Friends,

Below you will find A JEWISH CALL TO HEAL GOD'S WORLD BY WEAVING WORLD COMMUNITY.

This call has been signed by 82 rabbis and four cantors, from all the branches of the Jewish religious tree. Now we welcome all members of the Jewish community to sign as well.

To do so, please click on the blue Donate button on this page, and on the "in behalf of" line, write in "worldweave." Please give what you can (it's tax-exempt). All gifts are a great help; AND please aim to give as close to $180 as you can - to make it more possible to spread this message.

Please note that the signers commit themselves to go beyond embracing and announcing this Call -- to consult and then to act, as each of us assesses her or his own time and energy, to move the vision forward into actuality.

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 -0500

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