Intermountain Jewish News

Jewish on Earth

IJN
Columns

After 300 repetitive years, things can get boring

SABERS have been rattling in Persia for nearly 3000 years, so this latest Iran flare-up looks boringly repetitive. Jews have spent most of their existence around warring empires — it’s …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Is the Earth approaching its doomsday?

If the world as we knew it was going to end, what would you tell your loved ones? Religious fundamentalists might find the End of Days prospect comforting: foretold in …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Purim: The Book on Renewable Energy

WHAT if everything you “knew” about something was wrong? Would you cling to what you “knew” anyway, even in the face of new information? Here’s the news: fossil fuels will …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Tu b’Shevat and the environment

It’s cheaper to buy local, organic foods than industrially produced ones — except the savings are invisible. Invisible, that is, to anyone who doesn’t buy, handle or grow them. Local …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Hey Buddy: Can you spare a zuz?

Next holiday season, you might consider buying your presents without US dollars. When you decide to buy something, you can also choose what you buy it with. It’s legal in …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

The promise we billions don’t have to keep

Is it ethical to burden future generations with the environmental mess this generation created? From a Jewish perspective, the answer is “No.” We’re constantly reminded about passing this world from …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Food-rich blessings, over-eating curse

The harvest festival of Sukkot has passed and the feasting holidays of Thanksgiving and Chanukah approach. Let’s thank our farming and herding ancestors for helping make our civilization possible. And …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

High Holidays in Eden

Jews have been stressing about “G-d’s will” vs. free will, and the ideal vs. the pragmatic ever since G-d expelled humans from Eden for eating a Tree of Knowledge apple. …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

The new earth

IN summer of 2006, I asked a “highly placed Israeli source” this question: “What’s with Olmert?!” New Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was botching the Lebanon war, relations with the territories …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

The people of sustainable impact

ON July 4 last year, we were huddling around fires to keep warm in Seattle. This year, we’ve had 78 minutes of summer so far (i.e., temperatures over 80 degrees). …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

G-d is in the summer camp

TO those who say we never see miracles or talk directly with G-d anymore, I say, “Nonsense.” We constantly stand in their presence; we just fail to appreciate them. We …

Martin Westerman
IJN
Columns

Everything is local

The primary emphasis of Western religions is to celebrate events that occurred in one place — the Land of Canaan (a.k.a. The Land of Milk and Honey, Judea & Samaria, …

Martin Westerman