by Fred Guttman | Jul 12, 2021 | Opinion
The former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court was convinced to oppose the death penalty. This was more than 15 years ago and resulted from the efforts I and others carried out to educate people about why the death penalty was problematic, ineffective...
by Fred Guttman | Jun 10, 2021 | Opinion
The pandemic has been extremely difficult for clergy as congregational leaders. We have had to rethink a lot of our preconceived notions and adapt to a significant new reality. From the beginning, I said I believed that when this is all over, we will have experienced...
by Fred Guttman | Mar 23, 2021 | Opinion
We have a wonderful family in our congregation wherein the mother is from the Philippines and the father is Jewish. The four boys in the family are being raised as Jews. Last week, the 13-year-old son, whose Bar Mitzvah Torah portion is from Leviticus, revised his...
by Fred Guttman | Feb 17, 2021 | Opinion
How does one really live a holy life? That significant question is raised in Leviticus 19, known as “the Holiness Code.” The rabbis describe this chapter of the Pentateuch as “Rov Goofay Hatorah,” the essentials of the Torah. In many ways, this portion...
by Fred Guttman | Dec 22, 2020 | Opinion
We are living in a very cold and dark time. Yes, it is cold outside and, yes, the darkness at this time of year is significant. And yet, we all know that COVID-19 – the loss of friends and loved ones, the loss of income and employment, the reality of illness and...
