Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

  • The Journey

    Humanity was created to be moral beings in our relationship to nature as its caretakers, to our fellow human beings in respecting their dignity and being responsible for them, and to God in fulfilling our obligations. We serve the Divine… Continue reading

  • 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

  • Promises and Perils

    We need to bear in mind that the human mind, not Artificial Intelligence, is the most powerful instrument in the classroom. While a young person’s mind holds the most promise, it faces the most peril in today’s educational environment. 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

  • 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

  • The Vulnerable and the Venerable Mystery

    What does it mean when someone asks you to pray for them? What does the request say about them and you? Prayer is a topic that we relate to public worship, a liturgy. Our engagement in private and personal prayer… Continue reading

  • THE SALT OF INDIVIDUAL ACTION:

    PART THREE: THE POSSIBILITY OF ANSWERS THE SYNAGOGUE, THE CHURCH, AND THE MOSQUE I am a proponent of ecumenical dialogue. In the past, I participated in meetings, assisted others in preparing their conferences talks, and taught in various denominational settings.… Continue reading

  • DEMOCRATS AND THE MORAL MOMENT

    To an independent outsider, the quarrel and discord between oppositional wings have made the Democratic Party appear obsolete. Neither the DNC leadership nor the operatives, those attached to the traditional role of polity, appear capable of recognizing who their constituencies… Continue reading