Welcome to our new blog and thank you for joining us on this still new and unfolding adventure in human communication.  Whether you are young enough to know only a web connected world or old enough to remember the miracle of an electric typewriter we hope you will find this blog always thoughtful, frequently inspirational and occasionally provocative.  In the days ahead please consider what will be said here and respond with your thoughts, agreement, disagreement and most of all with your questions.

Blogging is well rooted in Jewish Tradition.  The Talmud can be understood as a pre-electronic blog with central ideas branching off in all directions, a plethora of voices and commentaries all around.  When parchment was invented our ancestors left their chisels and stones behind.   In due course scrolls turned into books and movable type rapidly spread the written word through all of civilization.  This medium is just another way to continue the human conversation that began with Eve and Adam and the Jewish discourse called Torah that emanates from Sinai.

Here I will present my “take” on the affairs and concerns of the Jewish people and all humanity in the light of Jewish values from my vantage point as an American congregational rabbi.  I will post on the tough issues in a non-partisan way.  Your commitment is to join the conversation respectfully - even if we don’t agree.  Rude, vulgar, racist or bigoted comments will not be published.

Thanks to our congregation, Temple Emanu El in Orange Village, Ohio, Chad Barr and the folks at CB Software Systems, in a few days we will be blogging in earnest and I will receive and respond to your comments and email.  We will shortly be adding a podcast to this website.

Put us on your bloglist or just ’stay tuned’.  B’ezrat HaShem - with G-d’s Help we will soon be sharing thoughts.

Shannah Tovah!

Rabbi Steve Denker