Philip Graubart, at The Blogs

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Sep 4, 2024, 10:28 PM

I don’t know why at first I didn’t notice the similarity between Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of the murdered hostage Hersh Polin, and the matriarch Rachel. After all, both Rachels cry for their children, and no one I can remember...

Mar 11, 2024, 10:38 PM

These and These in Wartime

Here are some things I believe: Hamas unleashed an unspeakably cruel, wicked genocidal attack against Israel. Israel’s aggressive response has killed far too many Palestinian civilians and has created widespread hunger and misery. My heart breaks for my many Israeli friends, family,...

Feb 11, 2024, 5:54 PM

Palestinians and our American Jewish feelings

During the first awful weeks of the Gaza War, my concern was fully with my friends and family in Israel. Like many American Jews, I texted, phoned, listened, comforted, and shared as much sorrow as they and I could...

Jan 27, 2017, 8:20 AM

We’re All Kapos Now

Several years ago, an Israel activist in my community referred to JStreet supporters as kapos. He also posted articles using the analogy on his Facebook page, and forwarded them to his various email lists. He was already known in...

Nov 1, 2016, 10:01 PM

Allan on Rosh Hashanah

Salaam. Aleinu v’al kol ha’olam, Salaam, Salaam. The first time I heard this now classic Jewish-American peace song, with its triumphant mash-up of Arabic and Hebrew was when I picked up my then 5-year-old son on a Friday at the...

Sep 28, 2016, 8:22 AM

Leonard Cohen’s Hineni

Hineni Leonard Cohen croaks/whispers, accompanied by an electronic beat and his boyhood synagogue’s all men’s choir. And then he then he mumbles, over and over “I am ready.” But ready for what? When I first heard the song – yesterday;...

Apr 13, 2016, 9:46 PM

Star Wars Jews, Close Encounter Jews

A few weeks ago, through the weird magic of Facebook, I was reminiscing with an old friend about the time we stood in line together at midnight so we could watch the premier showing of Star Wars (the first...

Feb 24, 2016, 5:58 AM

Trump and Sander: What’s That Sound?

There’s a scene in the Golden Calf story which speaks to our political moment – the rise of Donald Trump, and to some extent Bernie Sanders – protest candidates. Moses descends from Sinai to confront the Israelites. Joshua, who’s...

Jan 13, 2016, 8:51 PM

Facing the Strange Changes: Bowie’s Torah

“Turn and face the strange changes.” That’s the perfect Bowie line, the artistic battle-cry of a singer always changing – shifting costumes, switching sexual orientation, inventing new personas, and then, finally, like all surviving 60’s rockers, the strangest change:...

Nov 23, 2015, 8:31 PM

Dreaming in Middle Age

As I sink more deeply into middle age I sometimes have the wildly narcissistic idea that I’m dragging the rest of my Jewish/American world with me. Middle age is not a time of great dreams or ambitions; the goals...

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About Me

Rabbi Philip Graubart is the author of RABBIS AND GANGSTERS, SILWAN, WOMEN AND GOD, and several other novels. His new mystery HERE THERE IS NO WHY will be published this summer. He served as senior rabbi at Congregation Beth El in La Jolla for fifteen years and before that as senior rabbi at Congregation Bnai Israel in Northampton, Massachusetts. He also worked in leadership positions at the National Yiddish Book Center, the Shalom Hartman Institute, and the San Diego Jewish Academy. He's taught widely on Israel and Zionism, to teenagers, college students and adults.