Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

Judaism

  • The Earth Angel and the Servant-hearted Man: In Thanksgiving

    There are people more aware of the Divine breath of life than most. That spirit motivates them to perceive a higher purpose in their lives. They have their difficulties, pain, suffering, and awareness that their bodies are finite. But in… Continue reading

  • Freedom and Passing of the Candlelight

    Are our crises any different from those contended with by the generations of the American Revolution and Civil War eras? They, too, grappled with divisive moral issues. The Declaration of Independence, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and his Emancipation Proclamation testify to… Continue reading

  • Connection and Disconnection in Desert Places

    When consciously thought about, it is odd how easily the word connect is tossed around in advertisements. Connection, in the sense used by advertisers and social networks, concerns intimacy, shared aims, and relationships among people. The attempt to establish a… Continue reading

  • 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

  • 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

  • Searching with a Lantern

    The summer of 1966 was a difficult time for me. In the spring, my father had died suddenly. My mother had decided I should attend Boy Scout camp for a week. In the weeks leading up to it, I had… Continue reading

  • Chanukkah and Advent: Dialogue and Hate in the Trumpian Age

    Mixing Apples and oranges (or pomegranates). Readers may think I have been doing just that in these reflections on Advent and Chanukkah. Jews and Christians have distinct faiths and teachings. I firmly believe in ecumenical dialogue. Dialogue, to reach an… Continue reading

  • Advent and Chanukkah: Lights in the Darkness

    A curtain of silence drapes the late autumn and first days of winter. There is a sense of expectation. In the solitude of quiet nights, I find hope and the desire for renewal and deepening of faith in the flickering… Continue reading

  • Dilexi Te:The Invisible Among Us

    The other evening, my wife arrived home with bags of groceries from the market that we will donate to a food bank for distribution. An act of kindness. A moral imperative. More importantly, an expression of love and faith. And… Continue reading

  • Sounding the Shofar: How Then Shall We Live?

    The other morning, I found a note in my mailbox from a dear friend. The subject raised for discussion pertained to confession and absolution. This is a timely message as we are in the period of the High Holy Days… Continue reading