Song of Songs, Canticles 1-8
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys[….]
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
Julie Bruck: The Last Two Jews of Kabul
When his roommate finally expired at eighty,
Zebulon said he was relieved to be rid of Isaak.
The pair had held out in a decaying synagogue
under Mujahedeen, Taliban, Americans, more Taliban.
Video: Joel Baden | The Bible Doesn’t Say What You Think It Does
Nearly 80 percent of all Americans think the Bible is either literally true or is the inspired word of God. And yet, most Americans have no idea what is actually in the Bible. So we have the paradoxical situation in which we as a culture “have invested the words of this book with amazing authority even when we don’t know what these words are and what they mean.”
Valerie Bacharach: Passover
I lay a Haggadah by a chair,
unoccupied.
Unearth my Seder plate,
place upon it shank bone, egg, parsley,
bitter herbs. My bitter tears.
Valerie Bacharach: The Synagogue
Someone enters the sanctuary, picks up the chair
thrown by the Rabbi,
places it gently with the others, a straight row
waiting for bodies.
Martin Edmunds: Personal Mythology
You’re Adam. She’s Eve.
You fuck up: cannot conceive
Yahweh’s anger.
Michael Simms: Tree of Life
God, like a lazy cop,
Never seems to be around
When you need Him
Baruch November: Beard 18
The Zohar tells us a beard embodies the 13 attributes of mercy and compassion, yet sometimes I care only about myself. I love the snow in its falling, though, I … Continue reading
Patricia A. Nugent: Why Some Jews “Do” Christmas and Some Christians Don’t Follow Their Messiah
My Jewish friends send Christmas cards. They decorate Christmas trees and exchange gifts. They bake Christmas cookies. They even attend midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. When asked why, their … Continue reading
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