Charles van Heck
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The Hat Trick and the Crisis We Still Face
I was obligated to tell a broader story. I needed a cast of characters to tell Emma’s tale and to demonstrate the complexity of the historical period of national division mirrored in contemporary American society. Continue reading
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A Letter to an Unknown Person
Suffering and mourning are aspects of the human condition. Suffering is an aspect of our “spiritual personality” and awakens us, if we allow it, to place greater value on our worth, and that of others, and the preciousness of our… Continue reading
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Daydreams, Imagination, and Childlike Wonder
Solitary moments are often difficult to come by in our contemporary life. But when we pause to reflect, we can see the interaction of space and time in nature, art, literature, architecture, and other forms of creative expression. How space-time… Continue reading
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Freedom and Responsibility: What is Asked of Us
Our Jewish life is both a personal and a communal journey towards Mount Sinai in freedom, and then with a conscious commitment of responsibility moving into the world to bear witness to the blessing of a meaningful life—one of respect… Continue reading
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THE FRIDAY JIMPLECUTE
In 2000, a clump of gas and dust was forming in the stellar nursery. The mass drew more attention as it formed, began to spin and heat up in its core in 2012. “We found ourselves wondering, would it become… Continue reading
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Two Voices, Different Moralities and the Choices We Make
What do we mean by “the right and the good?” How should one differentiate between the two? How we answer these questions has broad implications for our lives, whether we are Jewish, Christian, or secular in our values. Continue reading
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The Sage of Peacefield
“Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these… Continue reading
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Creativity and My Adventure with Sarah Edmonds
But what exactly is boredom? Can it be productive? Can it contribute to our creativity? Continue reading
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Lloyd Austin Misses the Point
The U.S. military must also learn from the war with Iran, which is already one of the most consequential conflicts in decades. Lloyd Austin The keyword, one easily skimmed over in Lloyd Austin’s New York Times opinion piece of 7… Continue reading
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Museum Exhibit: Seven Japanese Paintings
POETRY ichi (いち)Cherry blossoms—Moonlight so pureThe dew is unseen.ni (に)Summer breeze—The music of wind chimes;Black kitten cocks her head.san (さん)Clouds gather in the southern sky.Reeds motionless in the humid air.White birds circle waves of enfolding hands. An old man in… Continue reading
Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal 