Editorials & Actions

Japan’s Nuclear Meltdown

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There is no justice in the fact that one group — the Japanese people — has so disproportionately suffered the consequences of the sinful arrogance of those who have recklessly taken the atom and misused it for war and for profit. On the face of it, there was nothing inherently wrong with the human race considering atomic energy as one possible source of energy among others. But that consideration should have taken place in the context of a deep religious and spiritual recognition that these forces are so enormous and their use such a powerful transformation of nature that they have to be approached with reverence, awe, and a sense that we are dealing with the sacred powers of the universe. We should have been willing to consider the possibility that splitting atoms may have potential consequences so beyond our capacity to rationally predict that atomic energy shouldn’t be tapped at all. And the choice should have been made by people filled with humility and a desire to benefit everyone on the planet not just in this generation but in millennia to come.

Editorials & Actions

Condemnation of Itamar Massacre

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We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of five Israelis in a terrorist attack in the northern West Bank, and we offer our condolences to their loved ones and to the Israeli people. There is no possible justification for the killing of parents and children in their home. We call on the Palestinian Authority to unequivocally condemn this terrorist attack and for the perpetrators of this heinous crime to be held accountable.

Editorials & Actions

Lesson From the Arab Uprisings: Don’t be Realistic!

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Over the course of the past five weeks, billions of people on our planet have allowed themselves to feel the joy of liberation as we watched, read, or heard about the uprisings in the Arab world. Few expected it. Why? Because most of us have internalized the dominant message of those who shape and control our lives: the message that if we want to be taken seriously, we must be “realistic.” And that means we must shape our understanding of what is possible within the economic, political, social, psychological, and spiritual contours of what is actual. So we look at any given situation and almost automatically think “within the box” of “what is.” We have learned to “ride the horse in the direction it is going” rather than attempt to change directions.

About Tikkun

Ten Commitments

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Many of us find the notion of “commandments” oppressive and hierarchical. Yet we know that a community cannot be built on the principle of only doing what feels right at the moment — it requires a sense of responsibility to each other. So, we encourage our community to take on the following ten commitments, based roughly on a rereading of the Torah’s ten commandments (and incorporating the framework and many specific ideas articulated by Rami Shapiro in his book Minyan). Start each day with ten minutes of meditation on these ten principles, followed by the Shema. It will bring a new level of joy in your life.

About Tikkun

Healing Israel/Palestine

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The relations between Israelis and Palestinians have been a major theme of Tikkun magazine since its inception. Our Israel/Palestine page includes all our current articles and will gradually come to include all our archived articles. These articles include a range of opinion, including ones we disagree with. Our editorial policy on Israel and Palestine is encapsulated in Michael Lerner’s book Embracing Israel/Palestine, and in the many editorials he has written down the years, which will gradually be posted on his editorial page. Click here for his 2008 essay on the sixtieth anniversary of the state of Israel.

Activism

Take Action to Stop Qaddafi’s Brutal Assault on Libyan Civilians

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It’s time for bolder international action against the ruthless dictator of Libya who is killing his own people. Military jets, helicopter gunships, and mercenaries with machine guns are indiscriminately attacking unarmed demonstrators while heads of state just make statements. Only a vigorous global response can help prevent the situation from spiraling into greater violence. Please ask the US to play a leadership role in forcing the UN Security Council to act. There are peaceful and effective international actions that could save lives in Libya.

About Tikkun

God

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A Jewish Renewal (Kabbalistic-Mystical-NeoHasidic) Approach to God
by Rabbi Michael Lerner

The Jewish people came to historical consciousness in a world dominated by great imperial powers, first in Mesopotamia where Abraham grew up, then in Egypt where a family became a nation. Imperial powers stayed in power through imposing force and violence on their own population, enslaving some, forcefully taxing others–and exercising a monopoly on violence and cruelty. No wonder, then, that the first issue confronting the Jewish people was how to understand the nature and meaning of cruelty. One can read the Torah as a first, conflicted, sometimes ambiguous but often enlightening meditation on how to handle the cruelty that the Jewish people were encountering in the world. But the cruelty was not ONLY something imposed upon pure and noble beings by the outside–it was in US, the Jews, as well–and DISTORTED US EVEN AS WE SOUGHT TO TRANSCEND IT.