View from Denver
What does it mean to be alive at this time?
Hillel GoldbergApr 23, 2020
What does it mean to be alive at this time, during this unprecedented period in the lives of every person now alive? In the midst of crisis, it is difficult if not...
Shabbos in a time of coronavirus
Hillel GoldbergApr 17, 2020
Two halves of a whole. The coronavirus shines a poignant light on one-half that has virtually no toehold in our consciousness. It’s strange. If we take a different...
Jewish leadership during the cholera epidemic, 1848
Hillel GoldbergApr 08, 2020
In 1848 a cholera epidemic struck Vilna, Lithuania. It was near Yom Kippur. Two incidents have come down to us from that frightful time, one rather well known, one not....
The most meaningful Passover yet
Hillel GoldbergApr 02, 2020
A Colorado lawmaker recalled the Gestapo as he objected to the rules that have almost all of us confined to our homes. The comparison is ignorant. In 2020, unlike in...
‘How will we get through this?’
Hillel GoldbergMar 26, 2020
Howwill we get through this? Wrong question. But I need my mother for the seder. Or: I lost my deposit for Pesach at the hotel. Or: I have nowhere to go for seder. Wrong...
Coronavirus: Who is in control?
Hillel GoldbergMar 19, 2020
Am I the only one thinking of the Holocaust? Darkness descended: Suddenly. Dangerously. Transforming reality, totally. Impossible to get a grip on because never seen...
Should I trust myself?
Hillel GoldbergMar 12, 2020
I think I can start a potentially dangerous activity because I think I’m in control. I won’t cross the line into danger. I am disciplined. Examples abound: Driving...
Now this would be a presidential debate
Hillel GoldbergMar 05, 2020
I have always imagined this kind of debate: Each debater argues for the position or the candidate that he opposes. Yes, you read that right. This is how it would work,...
Child abuse in utero
Hillel GoldbergJan 30, 2020
“Can a baby be abused in womb?” So ran the headline. What a fascinating question. It unfolded this way: A person is violent against a pregnant woman. When the baby...
Living in polarized times
Hillel GoldbergJan 23, 2020
Historical perspective helps. We live in polarized times. Impeachment speaks for itself. The edges are sharp — but not nearly so sharp as in the past. I won’t even...
