Spiritual Practice

The Torah doesn't steer people away from slavery; it merely regulates the “lawful” treatment of human property.

We creatively insert ourselves into the mythic story in a way that reflects us, and by doing so, express our deepest values.

Abolition is more than the ending of legalized enslavement. It is a dismantling of institutionalized systems of oppression that enslave, imprison and devalue lives deemed expendable.

Far from being a bleak reality, when we view ourselves as lacking free will, it actually brings about significant and desirable implications.

Will I be able to do enough inner work to accept all the violent, human-inflicted death around me now? Should that even be my goal?

Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s arguments against chosenness still ring true.

We each possess a perfect, pure and untainted core.

With tenderness and love, we should encourage our community to confront the idea of chosenness and release it as no longer serving us well.

The kind of hope I want to lift up is a nuanced hope that recognizes pain and grief and nonetheless invites us to imagine a better future.

Our hearts must remain open and tender, crying along with God for all lives lost; we must remember that we are all created in God’s image.