In this 52 minute documentary,  prisoners in one of India’s most notorious prisons use an ancient Buddhist meditation technique, called Vipassana, to quiet their nerves and improve their behavior. It was so successful when it was first introduced in 1997 that authorities expanded the program the next year. Vipassana meditation is a little like Zen, though not identical. Practitioners focus their attention on their breath which helps them to develop control over the “unruly mind.” I usually show parts of... Read more

Two radio shows, On Being, hosted by Krista Tippet and The Takeaway, hosted by John Hockenberry, put together a series last month called “Young Nation Under God.” The purpose of the series was to explore the shifting landscape with four groups: “secular Jews, Christians-turned-humanists, American-born Muslims experiencing a clash of cultures, and African-American millennials who remain as committed to their faith as their parents’ generation.” The broadcast above is the first in the series and is about millennials.  Here  is... Read more

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A 1793 volume of the Babylonian Talmud An 1815 copy of the mystical Zohar A 16th-century Hebrew Bible These are some of the Jewish books and manuscripts that were found in the flooded basement of Saddam Hussein’s secret police headquarter’s in 2003.  Most had terrible water damage and required years of restoration work. Now the National Archives is  launching an exhibition called, “Discovery and Recovery: Preserving Iraqi Jewish Heritage.”  It includes 24 artifacts which, according to the New York Times, span five centuries of  Jewish life.  The 24 artifacts... Read more

This summer John Stewart appeared on Egypt’s political satire show called Al Bernameg. It’s absolutely hilarious and as Max Fisher observes in his story about the appearance, only John Stewart can make a Jewish joke in Egypt and get a lot of laughs. Since Stewart’s appearance in June, Egyptian authorities have taken  the show off the air presumably because the show’s anchor, Bassem Youssef, has made a few jokes about Egypt’s military leadership. The New York Times has an excellent... Read more

Anniversaries of historical events offer great teaching opportunities because of all the attention in the press and social media. Today, November 9, is the 75th anniversary of Kristallnacht — The Night of Broken Glass — “the violent pogrom that saw Nazi-coordinated attacks on thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses.” Here are some links to stories and clips about the event. NPR: Bearing Witness To Nazis’ Life-Shattering Kristallnacht Holocaust Encyclopedia:  Kristallnacht, a nationwide pogrom, November 9-10, 1938 Fox News: Kristallnacht anniversary... Read more

Teaching an elective in religion?  Here’s a good issue to debate. The Supreme Court is deciding the limits of prayer and the First Amendment based on a case that started in Greece, New York. Does prayer have any role at government meetings? The plaintiff, Galloway, says no. The Court is hearing arguments now and many think their decision “could shape the legal landscape on this issue for decades to come.” In addition to the clip above from PBS Religion &... Read more

Studying Islam?  Check out Islam in popular American culture like Marvel Comics. In February, according to the New York Times, Marvel Comics will begin a new series with a lead character called Karmala Khan. She’s a teenage girl living in, believe it or not, Jersey City. Karmala’s family comes from Pakistan and the teenager follows Carol Danvers, the blond blue-eyed girl who calls herself Captain Marvel. Karmela discovers her powers like her ability to change shape and soon takes on... Read more