As we move into Shavuot, celebrating the giving of the Torah (and most specifically, the aseret hadibrot), it's worth reflecting that at least two talk about honesty -- which have become much harder to navigate with LLMs.

R' Ishmael listed 13 different hermeneutical principles as ways to read Torah -- not just one. Studying Torah is not "one size fits all"; there's a dynamic of what the text says and who is interpreting it. At the same time, it's also not a free-for-all, where anything goes.

A beautiful piece by Rabbi Sharon Brous, reminding us of the need for strength, courage, hope and light -- yes, every Hanukkah, but especially this one. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/o...

Deadline is TOMORROW, December 4th to apply for @sinaisynapses.bsky.social project Scientists in Synagogues, funded by the John Templeton Foundation! Your community would get $5000 to explore topics such as AI, memory, neuroscience, astrophysics and more! sinaiandsynapses.org/scientists-i...

While most of the Jewish community is talking about the Mamdani letter, I wanted to share two letters to which I was just one of only a few rabbis to be invited to add my name, both surrounding AI.

The pushback against science was often from a fundamentalist perspective. Now, it's from a pseudo-skeptical framing of "I'm just asking questions here," especially from the manosphere. @adamfrank4.bsky.social explains how we help embrace science once again: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/o...

Sara Wolkenfeld & I are co-editing a special issue of the CCAR Journal about AI (coming out soon!), and she's a wonderful thought partner. How can we be more intentional re: our words & actions, esp as algorithms reduce our ability to think for ourselves? blogs.timesofisrael.com/digital-reso...

@kentremendous.bsky.social At the Yankees / Orioles game yesterday, my daughter was very upset that the Orioles had a monopoly on great names, but I told her they don’t hold a candle to Trodd Frankensteip and Ssassandra Ssassnorp. But these two may come close!

There are ethical challenges for using AI in sermons. But it's not black-and-white, and the role of the rabbi has changed dramatically. Perhaps AI can help rabbis recenter what makes their job so valuable, important and meaningful. wapo.st/4pEIBgs

This isn't a new phenomenon, but it raises the question of "efficiency" v. "effectiveness." Technology makes things easier, faster & cheaper -- and that's very useful for *things*. But spiritual work, can't (and shouldn't!) be done for speed. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...

The question of AI is not IF it will change the way we engage with text, but HOW. This is still a very new world, with many ethical questions (such as accuracy, economic impact, plagiarism, IP and so on), but I do think that it can be a helpful tool. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/m...

We humans can't do anything by ourselves; we need others. Religion has been an incredible source of values for over 10,000 years, and while the way it plays itself out changes over time, the needs it meets will never go away. theconversation.com/did-humans-e...

@sinaisynapses.bsky.social Fellow Ciara Reyes-Ton has started to realize that science is more than studies and publications -- it's communication. How do we not just teach, but inspire? How do we use music, dance, or connections with religion? substack.com/home/post/p-...

There are areas of both conflict & connection b/w science & religion. But most importantly, scientists are human beings -- passionate, curious, flawed & based in values and communities. That's an area where religion can have something to say to science. www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

What will we worship in our world today? www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/o...

A very powerful & insightful piece. The Enlightenment, the scientific revolution, and the continual advancement of knowledge and better understanding of our world are good things. AND we need community, guidance, values, exploration -- things that religion can offer. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/s...

There's so much in our world that's making us say, "Enough already!" But Dayeinu can remind us that while we focus on the things we are fighting against, it's more effective to focus on what we're fighting *for*, and to celebrate each step along the way. sinaiandsynapses.org/content/how-...

@dzkalman.bsky.social shares the role that Jewish communities can play in ensuring AI remains ethical. While there are limits of what local communities can do, there's more than we might able to expect. jweekly.com/2025/03/07/a...

I was noticing this right as Covid was happening, and especially as we saw this was not going to be "two weeks out of an abundance of caution" -- we were going to be balancing individual rights and communal responsibility. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Jewish law has an algorithmic aspect to it, and deep text study requires knowledge of a vast corpus, most of which people don't necessarily know (or even have access to) @dzkalman.bsky.social put Deep Search to the test, and it did quite well. www.jellomenorah.com/p/deep-searc...

'm definitely enjoying reading the excerpts from Ross Douthat's new book on belief, but I generally don't find the Cosmic Purpose argument for God all that convincing. I'm much more inclined to lean towards the experiential perspective (1/2) www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/o...

Though it can be frustrating at times, the bureaucracy of the government is a feature, not a bug. "Moving fast and breaking things" is dangerous for our daily lives, and as ridiculous and awful as Trump's plan is for Gaza, this concerns me more. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

@dzkalman.bsky.social (Sinai and Synapses Senior Advisor on technology) highlights some of the literature review on Judaism and AI, both the philosophical and practical questions. A great introduction to where things are, and where they may be going. open.substack.com/pub/jellomen...

So much of AI is the question of "what aspects of humanity might it replace?" Yet artists of all kinds will celebrated for the ineffable parts of our humanity. Since cartoons, by definition, aren't "human," how do we try to see the soul the characters? ’ www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Many people have strong feelings re: AI (including wanting to ignore it) & it's hard to disentangle its technical, political, social and economic impacts. As the next four years will likely to lead to less and less regulation, we can't ignore its impact. www.natesilver.net/p/its-time-t...

I'm so excited to announce a new project that @sinaisynapses.bsky.social will be launching a new project entitled "Jewish Thought and Jewish Education for the Digital Future," working with @dzkalman.bsky.social, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation! www.templeton.org/news/announc...

While this piece focuses on Christmas (and so I think it would certainly speak to many Christians), there are definitely analogies in the Jewish calendar -- from lighting candles to open and close to Shabbat, to increasing the lights from one to eight on Hanukkah,

In 2018, Congregation Emanu El was chosen as part of @SinaiSynapses' project Scientists in Synagogues, funded by @templeton_fdn to explore the relationship b/w science & Judaism. In 2023, Josh Fixler & Oren Hayon met w/ Sinai and Synapses Fellow Muhammad Ahmad... www.nytimes.com/2025/01/03/t...

I've definitely seen this in how my kids are taught vs. how I had learned growing up. And it's not easy. But it can be done. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/02/o...

One of my favorite quirks of the Jewish calendar is that the seventh night of Hanukkah is almost always the darkest night of the year. Not the *shortest*, but the darkest, since tonight is Rosh Hodesh Tevet, so it’s a new moon.

@SinaiSynapses #2 post of 2024 came from Dr. Rachel Pear of Shir Hadash in Jerusalem. We are still grappling with the fallout of October 7th, and Israelis having been moving from a place of acute crisis to long-term trauma. How are they navigating? sinaiandsynapses.org/content/trau...

Sinai and Synapses' 3rd-most popular post in 2024 was from Temple Israel of Boston, w/ R. Dan Slipakoff and Dr. Nora Renthal. What happens when clinical research doesn't provide clear answers? Ahttps://sinaiandsynapses.org/content/how-failure-in-science-nurtures-success-in-medicine/

Sinai and Synapses' #4 post came from Rabbi Ian Pear of Shir Hadash in Jerusalem, and one to look at on Tu B'Shevat and Sh'mini Atzeret, as well. When is rain a blessing, and when is it too much? sinaiandsynapses.org/content/when...

Sinai and Synapses' 5th-most popular post in 2024 was on quantum physics and reality -- what truly is "real" in our worlds? This conversation between Morris Levine and Rabbi Linda Joseph raised some fascinating questions! sinaiandsynapses.org/content/quan...

Effort is valuable but it's not an end unto itself. There's a balance of process & results, and the goal of the process is to reach results -- as well as a reminder that grades should be a reflection of how much has been learned and mastered. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/o...

Over the next few days, Sinai and Synapses will be sharing our top 5 most-read pieces. Just missing the cut was one of mine in preparation of the eclipse, and how is wasn't just the natural cycle, but the resonance it will leave on our family. sinaiandsynapses.org/content/the-...

"This Hanukkah, whose first night falls on Christmas for the first time in two decades, we must decide: Will we increase the light or stoke the fire? In their shaping of this holiday our ancient rabbis’ answer to this question is clear: Choose the light." www.nytimes.com/2024/12/25/o...

Evolution has shown that nature is NOT "red in tooth and claw." Yes, we have evolutionary tendencies that emphasize selfishness, but we also evolved care, cooperation and altruism. In the words of Hall of Famer Buck O'Neil, "People ain't just one thing." www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/o...

Jewish holidays are pegged to astronomical events, and Hanukkah brings more and more light as the amount of sunlight is at its lowest. As we move towards Hanukkah and Christmastime, the winter solstice gives a reminder to @JohnGHendy www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

I think I'd add adapt this is a bit to say religion in general, but since the vast majority of Americans are Christian, I do think it comes down to how a belief system, community, rituals and values can strengthen our democracy. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/o...

A terrific piece by friend and collaborator @daviddesteno.bsky.social on how we can look at religion and Pascal's wager in a new way. And I love that he used the phrase in Exodus, "Na'aseh v'nishmah" -- I think I may have been the one who introduced him to that; he definitely got the Hebrew right!

A thoughtful piece from Sinai and Synapses Fellowship alumnus Connor Wood on a reminder that religion is much older than modern science -- and that "being human" is not a disembodied mind. cultureuncurled.substack.com/p/the-scienc...

Really interesting connections between religion and technology from @gregmepstein.bsky.social, humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT. Is Technology Worthy of Our Faith? nautil.us/is-technolog...

fascinating (and, admittedly complex) article on what might happen to theology and morality if there is a multiverse. aeon.co/essays/why-i...

I remember reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" many years ago, and hearing the distinction between "efficiency" and "effectiveness." We can be efficient with *things*, but need to be effective with *people*. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/o...

When our family was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, we heard the announcers saying that Jennifer Hudson would "welcome in the holiday season." We joked that she should come out and sing, "S'vivon, Sov Sov Sov." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

This was a really fun conversation!

Rituals of all kinds can be deeply meaningful, and Thanksgiving is one that nearly all Americans celebrate. Cristine Legare shares some of the research behind its value -- even if only a small percentage of us actually LIKE turkey on Thanksgiving! www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3KC...

We need to stay focused on the human element of AI, and Alva Noe lifts up what he thinks makes humanity (still) unique -- we always struggle with new technology. Can computers think? No. They can’t actually do anything – aeon.co/essays/can-c... via @aeonmag

I'm excited to highlight the incredible work of Sinai and Synapses, which bridges the worlds of religion and science. Having founded it more than 10 years ago, it's been a wonderful and inspiring journey to help rabbis and scientists explore their interaction! www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWe...