Collected Essays

📖 The Scoop

This revised and updated volume includes fifteen essays on timely topics. The volume begins with a synopsis of the two original thoughts regarding religion. One of these is attributed to the Patriarch Abraham, whose reflection on Deity and how to relate to spirituality predominates in the three great Western religions. The other original thought is found in Hinduism, reflecting an entirely different way to relate to Deity.

Because Hinduism is a Far Eastern phenomenon, not readily accessible in the West, I’ve included an overview of Hinduism, so that the Western and Jewish views can be appreciated.

Another essay concerns the traditional Jewish attitude towards an informer, one who reports a matter to secular authorities. Jewish law is harshly antagonistic to informers, with a modern view slowly acceding to the need to protect the affected community. This is a troublesome issue, with the traditional negative view prevailing in many quarters

I’ve also included a review of the Radhanites, a group of Jewish super-merchants who traveled from Europe to China, doing so for about 500 years. They made such journeys hundreds of years before Marco Polo, his father, and his uncle. Though the Radhanites did not write of their adventures and journeys, there is much speculation and scholarly debate about them.

Another essay reviews my pilgrimage to Auschwitz / Birkenau and the modern state of official German consciousness. The extermination of entire peoples by the governmental policy is a legacy Germany will face, likely in perpetuity. With that reality, Germany has examined that horrific legacy, with Nazi-related activities banned and illegal in the country. Regardless of that formality, anti-Semitism in Germany and Europe is rising, raising questions about how to respond to such realities.

Each of the essays and reviews reflects my understanding of these, and other, diverse topics. Each essay provides grist for discussion and reflection.

Genre: Religion / Judaism / Kabbalah & Mysticism (fancy, right?)