Elliot Eisenberg, at The Blogs

May 6, 2020, 3:26 PM

America's newest Reform congregation is in a prison. But is it a house of worship? Religious services in correctional facilities are nothing new. Islam holds them worldwide. But something about the shul in New Jersey’s Northern State Prison isn’t right. ...

Apr 17, 2020, 12:27 AM

How Coronovirus Is Ruining Conservative Judaism

From where I sit, social distancing is sticking a knife into the heart of Conservative Judaism. Rather than walking in, we now are Zooming in. “I’m not going to talk about aspects of the Torah portion, or the Haftorah reading,” the...

Feb 7, 2020, 5:31 AM

A People Apart, or a People Breaking Apart?

In this week’s Torah portion, Bo, The Lord on High visits final three plagues on Egypt, breaking Pharaoh’s will to keep the Hebrews enslaved in Egypt. The Egyptian ruler doesn’t just allow Israelites to leave, he chases them from...

Sep 23, 2019, 10:57 PM

Ki Tavo – Judaism’s Continental Divide

In North America, the Continental Divide runs along a series of western mountains. Everything to one side flows to the Pacific. Runoff on the other side flows to the Atlantic, principally through the Gulf of Mexico. The Torah portion read...

Sep 20, 2019, 10:58 AM

Are we writing ourselves into the Book of Death?

Are we -- non-Orthodox American Jewry -- writing ourselves into the Book of Death? For several reasons, it appears so. 1. Failing to have sufficient numbers of children. 2. Intermarrying to such an extent that the children who are born have only...

Sep 7, 2019, 12:52 AM

Why I won’t apologize

It's a tradition to ask friends and family for forgiveness, before standing on Yom Kippur before the Lord of Hosts, asking to be written into the New Year for health and happiness. In the Jewish year ending the eve of...

Aug 24, 2019, 2:48 AM

Why stand with terrorists?

In this file photo taken on January 3, 2019, US House Representative Rashida Tlaib participates in a ceremonial swearing-in at the start of the 116th Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

On, March 11, 1978, 39 year old Gail Rubin was photographing birds at the Maagan Michael kibbutz in northern Israel. She was approached by a group of men who killed her and stole her car. The New York Times...

Aug 19, 2019, 4:16 AM

Love the Lord with all your heart, yet put Him second?

Answer me this: Last week’s Torah portion, Va’etchanan, includes the six verses that make up the first section of the Sh’ma. “Hear, Oh Israel, The Lord is God. The Lord is One.” It goes on to say: And you shall love the Lord...

Jul 20, 2019, 1:08 AM

Mah Tovu were the words which sprang to mind

The story is told of a powerful public official who sought to curse the Jews, whom he despised. Do something, he insisted to his administrative manager. Do it now. Sweat began to break out on the aide’s forehead. He had some...

Jul 15, 2019, 12:50 AM

Call it the Donald Trump Haftorah

It’s not a perfect analogy, but the stories of two improbable leaders are remarkable for their similarities. Taken from the Book of Judges, this week’s Haftorah portion ( tells the story of Jephthah, the son of Gilead, and a prostitute. As...

About Me

A resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan, I hold BA and MA degrees in economics, and spent the first decade after graduate school in journalism. I have worked on Wall Street, met a payroll, won a wire service award, and served on three boards. With a partner, I am involved in a litigation funding business.