Josh Yarden is a Philadelphia based writer, editor, and educational consultant. A father of three, Josh has devoted the last several decades to making sense of stories, creating new ones, coaching, teaching and learning. He has a BA in Middle East Studies from McGill University, an MA in Israel Studies from the University of Haifa, and a PhD in Education, Culture & Society from the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote a dissertation entitled, Embracing Complexity, on cultural transformation through reflective practice in experiential learning. Josh is currently working on three related collections of essays: Jelly Beans, with and for the One Step Away vendors on the streets of Philadelphia; Expanding the Comfort Zone, on the nature of experiential learning; and Seeing Light Reflected, close translations and reinterpretations of transcendent experiences in biblical literature. Email: [email protected]
by Josh Yarden “… Or, you could just free them yourself…” This cartoon raises quite a good question. Whether you find it funny or foolish, irrelevant or irreverent, it does go to the heart of the biblical message. If the Creator of the universe wants to free Hebrew slaves from bondage in Egypt (or get…
by Josh Yarden there's that little boy trekking to school black galoshes and a yellow raincoat stomping in puddles imagining he's an explorer on a short cut to an adventure through the woods down the hill into the trees crossing the creek one might meet Lewis and Clark stop to catch a crayfish a salamander…
by Josh Yarden Moses, Michelangelo Spring is the Season of Our Liberation Great epic struggles play out, layered one on top of another, in recent weeks, in past centuries and in ancient times. The state's attorney for Baltimore City, Marilyn J. Mosby, filed the charges against six ‘rough riding' police officers on a range of…
by Josh Yarden The ‘four questions’ are among the most memorable readings in the traditional Passover Haggadah. The answers are not particularly interesting, however, especially if we let them suffice as our children transition to adulthood. Unless we dig deep below the surface of why we ask these questions, and unless we search for new…
by Josh Yarden, with Dotan Yarden The Arc of Change In a previous essay posted here last month, I began to sketch the arc of Joseph's life. With Joseph, the narrative takes a new turn. All of the major figures in the Book of Genesis before him are in some way chosen—created, inspired or called…
by Josh Yarden Prelude How could Joseph's brothers have plotted to kill him? Why would they, and why stop amidst a frenzy of murderous intent? Was fratricide common in biblical times? Surely the story of Cain and Abel, whether it is factual or not, appeared with some historical context in which jealousy led to unbounded…
by Josh Yarden The Bible in all its poetic minimalism and rich ambiguity has given rise to seemingly endless meditations and diverse interpretations. There are times when I imagine the narrative as a prism of words, as though etched into cut glass, reflecting and refracting the light shining on the surface of the text from…
by Josh Yarden Translation has its limitations how do you say… we stumble, severely at times We do not realize when we do not realize understanding stands down misunderstanding stands in The translator pretends to be Superman disguised as a reporter for the Daily Planet able to leap tall constructs in a single bound Translators…
by Josh Yarden Rembrandt, Abraham`s Sacrifice, 1635 On the verge of sacrificinghis own son on an alterthe one he loves bound for glory pausing to consider which he loves more Abraham says: “Abraham!”and he says, “Here I am.”in an inglorious bind . . . He caught himself this timeat the line or just beyondthe point…
by Josh Yarden Here We Go A-Gain I just finished reading the end of the Five Books of Moses, again, and even though I did not read the entire five books this year, or any other year for that matter, I have already started over from the beginning. This past week was the festival of…
by Josh Yarden The new year, Rosh HaShana, according to the Hebrew Calendar, arrives this week with the coming of the new moon. As we also reach the end of the annual cycle of Torah readings, I revisited the final words words of Moshe (or Moses*.) The prophet has a curious way of describing his…
by Josh Yarden I posted a story last month about biblical metaphor, entitled “What Fruit Grows on the Tree of Knowledge?” The class discussion I related there continues with this question from a student: “When you said that the Tree of Knowledge is not an actual tree, didn't you just make up a story that's…
by Josh Yarden from every tree of the garden eatbut from the tree of knowledge of good and baddon't eat from it because on the day you eat from ityou will die (Genesis, 2:16-17) What fruit grows on the Tree of Knowledge? I posed that question to a class of intelligent high school students. A…
by Josh Yarden Actor Clayton Moore, TV's Lone Ranger, rides to the rescue circa 1955. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Some people like the idea that education is the great leveler of the playing field. They believe, or at least they repeat the slogan that everyone can attain the American dream if they work hard enough in…
The sound of money talking is echoing ever louder throughout the land. We the people now have to raise our voices even louder if we are to have influence in our political system. It is all too easy to become discouraged, but we can begin to gather inspiration for social engagement by returning to explore first principles.
by Josh Yarden The white pigeon waiting perhaps worrying perched high up on a shadowy ledge does not know that wall once supported an ancient shrine venerated and contested The dove does not know it is a symbol of peace among the humans seeking respite from the sun in a safe, defensible position We are…
by Josh Yarden There is nothing new under the sun an age passes an age arrives the earth forever endures Nothing is ever quite as it was adaptation the only constant sustained in a dynamic universe The eastern sun aspires toward the western sky the place where it will rise again What does a person…
by Josh Yarden Living north of the Ben Franklin Parkway, we regularly walk through Logan Square, often stopping to look around at the profound beauty—and the confounded beast—which our city has become. Standing at the Swann Fountain, I am struck by the juxtaposition of the people and the place. I see The Franklin Institute to…