77% Weekly

The route the dogs and I take on our three-times-a-day, once-around-the-block walks is governed by the presence of other people walking their dogs. My guys get so excited upon seeing other canines that we must cross the street or turn around to avoid being on the same side of the street as other dogs. This […]

For my twenty-fifth birthday, January 8, 1995, I decide to celebrate by getting stoned for the first time. I figure it will be fun. A laugh. A memorable escape from the cerebral, constantly thinking, thinking, thinking in rabbinical school in Los Angeles. I ask my study partner to help me make it happen, and she

End of summer, 1994. A hot classroom on Hebrew Union’s downtown Los Angeles campus.  A dozen of us just back from our first-year of rabbinical school in Israel sit facing a rabbi in a bespoke suit.  It’s bootcamp for budding rabbis.  In fourteen days, we will each be deployed to Podunks around the western United States,

December 2024 Portland, Oregon My family is out and I’m putting away items that have accumulated in the dish drainer. I’m on the phone with Larry, my best friend. If you don’t know about my relationship with Larry, he’s an 87-year-old retired minister and sociology professor and my role model in learning to be kind.

On New Year’s Day, David D. Sicher died, becoming what one in Judaism euphemistically refers to as ‘of blessed memory.‘ As Jewish tradition emphasizes a prompt burial (and he and I were close), I flew from Portland the next day and officiated the service on Friday. What follows is a description of the setting and

Hello. I’m Rabbi Brian. This is a new year, and this is the new, first 2025 issue of The 77% Weekly Newsletter. History!!!Where did the name come from? Well, every Monday, except the last Monday of the month, I send you a spiritualigious article. The ratio of messages I send per year (40) to the

  To play you’ll need: a person’s name an annoying thing that person does an idiom like “bang your head against a wall.” — _____ (person’s name) _____ is / has been / will be (pick one or more) annoying until I stop being annoyed by their _____ (annoying thing that person does) _____ . I also can choose

  Jerusalem, 1993 Rabbi Ben Hollander stands at the front of the classroom in a wardrobe from the 1970s. You can tell, based on a person’s wardrobe, when they emigrated to Israel. This 1958 graduate of the seminary is tasked with teaching us first-year rabbinical students—to be ordained in 1998—Biblical Commentary  Our Bibles are open

“Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true.” ― Robert Brault — “Annie,” I say, pointing upward to indicate I will be referencing the soundtrack of Come From Away we’re listening to. I steal

Since the election, I’ve been having a hard time. (You might be having a hard time too.)   Please see me. I am disappointed, exhausted, and scared.   Please don’t try to cheer or assure me.   If you are not comfortable with my pain and my fear, please politely take your leave.   I’m