Recent Stories
HOLYWOOD
Preparing for the New Year: The Pop Elul Project
Jewish tradition teaches that during the Hebrew month of Elul, the month we are currently in, leading up to the High Holy Days and the Jewish New Year, we dedicate ourselves to reflection, repentance, and renewal through acts of justice […]
“A Better Life”
For some, that is: the film and the immigration issue. With immigration such a debated topic today, anyone who wants to get to the heart of this issue is offered some insights in the film, A Better Life. This film […]
Transforming the titter
When I was a young girl one of the favorite things I discovered about going to church (which our family did every Sunday without fail) was laughing. Laughing that began right after the long sermon and just before the pastor […]
Confessions of a Rabbi
Confession #1: I subscribe to People magazine. I claim it is under the auspices of research, “I have to read what my congregants are reading.” But the truth is that I want to be in the know. The who, what, […]
Power down to recharge with the National Day of Unplugging
For a class experiment at Pepperdine University, I have our communication and media majors unplug for a day. No electronic devices allowed. They are fine with giving up email or laptops, maybe even the car stereo, but the thought of […]
The religious meaning of Malick’s ‘Tree of Life’
Terrence Malick’s film “Tree of Life” opens with a quotation from Job. That quotation holds the key to the film and in some sense, the key to our attitude toward life. In Job 38: 4,7 God asks Job “Where were […]