About Arthur Waskow

Rabbi Arthur Waskow has been one of the creators and leaders of Jewish renewal since writing the original Freedom Seder in 1969. In 1983 he founded and has since been director of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia.  He is the author of The Limits of Defense (Doubleday), From Race Riot to Sit-In (Doubleday), Godwrestling--Round 2 (Jewish Lights), Down-to-Earth Judaism (Morrow) and, with Phyllis Berman, A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven.



Murders in the Cathedral

By Arthur Waskow June 11, 2009

The Holocaust Museum murder and the murder of Dr. George Tiller at his church in Wichita share several characteristics: Both men who have been accused of the murders have long histories of involvement with ultra-right-wing political-religious groups like the Christian … Read More

Murder is Murder–Abortion is NOT

By Arthur Waskow June 1, 2009

Today we mourn the death of Dr. George Tiller, a physician who has been murdered for making it possible for women to actually use their constitutional right to choose an abortion. All honor to Dr.Tiller, who joins the list of … Read More

Charoset and Sex: A Recipe

By Arthur Waskow April 7, 2009

"Why is there charoset on the Seder plate?" That’s the most secret Question at the Seder – nobody even asks it. And it’s got the most secret answer: none. The Haggadah explains about matzah, the bread that was baked so … Read More

New Freedom Seder

By Arthur Waskow February 26, 2009

Forty years go, the 2000-year-old form of the Passover Seder was turned into a  seed for change, liberating new vision and creativity. Every Haggadah before this had told the story of the liberation of the ancient Israelites from slavery under … Read More

How the Jewish Income Tax Day Became an Eco-Holiday

By Arthur Waskow February 2, 2009

Wouldn’t it seem strange if you discovered that April 15, Income Tax Day, had been transformed into a festival for celebrating God’s reemergence? Yet that is what the Kabbalists of Safed did in the sixteenth century when they recreated Tu … Read More

A Bloody Purim Farce, at Hanukkah Time

By Arthur Waskow December 5, 2007

The early-spring Jewish festival of Purim—rooted in, or given roots by, the Scroll of Esther—is an expression of the same topsy-turvy view of the world that we see in Mardi Gras and other early-spring festivals of folly. The story is … Read More

Ending the Climate Crisis One Menorah At a Time

By Arthur Waskow December 4, 2007

[Ed. Note: This article was co-written by rabbis Arthur Waskow and Jeff Sultar. Technical limitations prevent us from displaying two authors for an article.] There are three levels of wisdom through which Hanukkah invites us to address the planetary dangers … Read More