ArcaMax

Q: Dear Rabbi Gellman, thank you for your amazing and sorely needed ministry.

I would like you to share your thoughts on the habit of our current culture to “read a book by its cover”. Of course, the age-old saying is "Never judge a book by its cover”, but everywhere I turn these days, I feel people are paying too much attention to the ...Read more

Q: I have been reading your God Squad column for many years. Before that, I remember listening to you and Father Tom Hartman on the radio for many years. I have enjoyed both venues.

Your columns are frequently very moving and thought provoking. Your birthday message to Father Tom was both! I cannot begin to come up with a non-spooky explanation...Read more

Q: Twenty-seven years ago my secretary introduced me to a woman at a line dancing bar and I immediately fell in love. I realized immediately that if I wanted to win this woman’s hand, I would have to learn to line dance. I didn’t even know country music.

For weeks I practiced line dancing with this woman in my condo using only one dance and...Read more

I believe this Independence Day that the way to bring America together now is to remember what brought America together then.

What is not widely known is that the preamble to the Declaration of Independence we think Jefferson wrote is not in fact the preamble he actually wrote. This is what we think he wrote:

“We hold ...Read more

Last week I used the holiday of Eid a-Adha to atone for shortcomings in my column caused by the fact that I am not Muslim. This week I want to continue my atonement tour to remind you dear readers that I am also not Black.

Last week on Wednesday, June 19, African-Americans celebrated Juneteenth. All of America should have been ...Read more

Since the 7th century, millions of Muslims have made a pilgrimage to Mecca to celebrate a sacrifice made by a Jewish guy 2,500 years ago.

This celebration and this pilgrimage, which happened this week, and brought almost 2 million pilgrims to Mecca, is the greatest interfaith story in the history of the world. It is called Eid al-Adha and it ...Read more

Q: Our two daughters are in their 50’s. We tried to encourage them to visit their grandparents’ graves, but they have never gone. They are very spiritual and are convinced that you can speak to them without going to a cemetery.

As we get older, we worry that they will not come to visit our graves either. Do you believe we should encourage ...Read more

Q: Some people say reincarnation is biblical and happens today, what is

your take on reincarnation? – (From S)

A: Thank you, dear S, for bringing up one of the great and enduring mysteries of the human condition. Despite the fact that death is inevitable, we humans cling to the belief that death is just a bump along the way of our soul’s ...Read more

The belief that death is not the end of us and that our souls live on in Heaven or Hell, or some purgatory in between, is a huge leap of faith, but it is not the last leap.

The next leap is believing that the dead not only live on beyond the grave, but they can also contact us from Heaven. (...Read more

Q: My husband passed away Aug. 14, 2023, the day of our 52nd anniversary. It is now almost one year. Therapy helps me talk (mostly) cry and my “good friends” check on me constantly. Many acquaintances keep me busy and I do have clubs I belong to. My sons and their families (grandkids are the best medicine) keep me in the ...Read more

Sometimes readers get exactly what I was trying to say.

I want to say that I absolutely love your answer to R of Pennsylvania, who was stuck with the Bible verse of John 14:1-6. I believe God loves all His children, even when sad or angry about our behavior. That love is endless, and it is not limited to one group over another. But I have ...Read more

“Hi, Poppa. I just wanted to call and tell you that I am angry and scared. The demonstrations on my campus are pretty mild compared to Columbia or UCLA. Nobody has taken over a building or attacked anybody but when I am walking to class, I hear the protesters yelling about killing Israel or ...Read more

Periodically when I refer to my favorite metaphor about interfaith harmony, which is the idea that there are many paths up the mountain to God, I receive comments like this one from R in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

I know you are familiar with the story. Jesus was addressing his disciples, and he said, “Let not your hearts be troubled, ...Read more

When Father Tom was alive we had a custom where I would offer Easter greetings from a rabbi and Tommy would offer Passover greetings from a priest. Now that this is no longer possible, I must rely on my memories of Tom’s Passover commentaries over the years.

This year, I remember as if he was still with us Tom’...Read more

In this springtime of sacred days (Easter, Ramadan, Holi, Passover) when I try with extra effort to support my belief (and the belief of my dear departed friend Father Tom) that there are many paths up the same mountain to God, I still receive blowback from readers who cling to the belief that there is only one path...Read more

Spring is by far the most spiritually significant time of the year. All the major faiths of East and West religions celebrate their holiest days during the springtime — usually near the first full moon after the vernal equinox. I always put aside your wonderful questions until I can do some justice to the springtime holy days. I have talked ...Read more

Happy springtime! The formation of religious holy days is a mixture of history and myth. The celebration of new life in the spring is the most ancient cause of religious celebration. The dry and barren months of winter provoke a natural despair just as the birth of new flocks and crops provokes the birth of new joy.

What was added to the cycle ...Read more