The Samaritan and the Nittany Lions
The tragic events at Penn State have captured the nation’s attention. The question that is at the center of it all seems to be: “Did they do enough?” Did the then graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, do enough by bringing the incident of abuse he witnessed to the attention of his coach? Did Coach Joe Paterno [...]
“Excuse me, your M.Div. is showing.”
When I was applying for Ph.D. programs a year or so ago, I received one consistent piece of advice: “Hide your Masters of Divinity.” Downplay those two preaching classes that you took, and let’s just not talk about that course on the Passion Plays. Don’t include that church internship on your resume. And above all [...]
Jessica Joslin
Jessica Joslin is a Ph.D. student studying Higher Education at the University of Michigan. Jess is also in the ordination process in the United Church of Christ and has a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School.
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Contributing Scholars
Guruamrit KhalsaGuruamrit Khalsa is an MA candidate at American University's School of International Service studying U.S. foreign policy and South Asia. She has studied the Arabic and Urdu languages, and was a former intern with the Middle East Institute in Washington.
Benjamin BarerBenjamin Barer is the Assistant Editor at Large for State of Formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. He has spent his young life studying Judaism and Jewish texts in exclusively Jewish environments. He is looking to take that intimate knowledge of the tradition and share it with wider communities, touching on the pressing issues facing the Jewish world, and the world as a whole. Towards that end, he has started work at Hebrew College as a research assistant splitting time between CIRCLE — the Centre for Inter-Religious and Communal Leadership Education, jointly hosted by Andover Newton Theological School and Hebrew College — and the Centre for Global Judiasm, at Hebrew College. Text study is the epicentre of his connection to Judaism, and he is keenly interested in widening the scope of that passion to include other scriptures. Benjamin blogs regularly at whatibelievein.wordpress.com
Michael RambergRabbi Michael Ramberg graduated from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College this June. Much to his surprise, as the son of intermarried (but mainly secular) parents active in the Civil Rights movement, Michael has found in the rabbinate his own way to carry on his parents’ important legacy. For him the most compelling venue in which to pursue this work of repairing the world is through interfaith coalitions, not only because Jews need partners in order to bring about real changes, but also because interfaith relationships are so nourishing for him.
Michael’s focus is standing up for the rights of immigrants, which he does primarily as a volunteer with the New Sanctuary Movement and with his synagogue, Mishkan Shalom, in Philadelphia, PA. In addition to his rabbinic role as community organizer and activist, Michael relishes his responsibilities working with people to sanctify life transitions.
In his Jewish practice Michael is invigorated both by reconstructing the Jewish tradition to fit the evolving needs of people today and by immersing himself in prayer and the study of sacred texts.
Michael’s partner just completed her PhD in Education and they have committed to equally sharing the care of their two year old daughter. Michael sometimes thinks that the profound love his daughter has inspired in him gives him at least a glimmer of understanding of the love the divine has for humanity.