Just in time for Passover and spring Bible studies …

THIS WEEK, we are thrilled to present a new book that brings readers a lifetime of wisdom from Rabbi Lenore Bohm, a popular Jewish teacher who has led studies of the Bible’s first five books (the Torah) for many years. Now, Rabbi Lenore is offering her inspiring and thought-provoking wisdom about the Torah to all of us. Her book debuts in time for Passover reflections and for spring-and-summer Bible studies for individuals and congregations.

First, please turn to our resource-packed landing page for this new book, which includes lots of information (and a video) about Rabbi Lenore’s new Torah Tutor: A Contemporary Torah Study Guide.

If you care to learn more, we are also sharing the Foreword to Rabbi Lenore’s new book, which was written by the pioneering Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first American woman ordained as a rabbi.

This is a story you’ll definitely want to share with friends via social media and email. So, we’ve made that very simple. Just tell friends to go visit TorahTutorBook.com and your friends will reach that same resource-packed landing page.

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Holidays & Festivals

When is Passover?
When is Easter?

The answers aren’t as simple as you might think

In our HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS column this week, we explain this oh-so-hard-to-pin-down date of Easter.

AND, we explain the moveable dates of Passover as well.

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Ramadan begins this week

To mark this worldwide observance …

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST Stephanie Fenton reports the latest on Ramadan plans as the first day of fasting nears.

FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING Editor David Crumm writes about three ideal books to learn more about our Muslim neighbors.

VETERAN JOURNALIST BILL TAMMEUS shares his thoughts on a global Muslim declaration, calling for religious harmony, that is being shared in interfaith gatherings.

AND, WE ALSO RECOMMEND reading a new commentary by a co-founder of the International Association of Religion Journalists, Endy Bayuni, about the United Nation’s recent declaration of an annual global observance to “combat Islamophobia.” Endy is one of the leading journalists in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, and he questions whether such a day really is beneficial to Muslims.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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From our authors—

Larry Buxton

Talking with Coach Margot Halstead about tackling toxic culture

THIS WEEK IN HIS ‘LEADING WITH SPIRIT’ VIDEO, Larry Buxton welcomes leadership coach Margot Halstead about how to deal with toxic situations, whether that’s an individual or a group of people you’ve encountered.

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David Gushee

Available via Audible Audiobook

RECENTLY, Dr. David Gushee’s book Introducing Christian Ethics launched on Amazon with a No. 1 ranking in “Adult Christian Education.” Now, in addition to the paperback, hardcover and eBook editions, Amazon has added the option of listening to his book via Audible Audiobook.

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Martin Davis says,

‘Please join me on your March 30 lunch hour’

THIS WEEK, we received this open invitation to share with our readers from Martin Davis, author of the new 30 Days with America’s High School Coaches. Martin writes: “Join me on Wednesday the 30th for a celebration of high school coaching. I’ll be reading a chapter from the book, and fielding questions about high school coaching and the impact it has on the lives of students.” The session is free at 12-Noon Eastern Time, March 30, 2022. Here’s the link to register.

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Among Ed’s free reviews and columns:

• FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN FIVE SPEECHES—Ed writes, “Although in just 54 minutes director Julia Marchesi cannot possibly include all of the massive amount of information in David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Frederick Douglass, she does an excellent job in portraying the man and his great influence upon his times and especially upon President Lincoln.”
• LINCOLN’S DILEMMA—Ed also praises the new four-part series about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas that just debuted on Apple TV+
• FLEE—”Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s triple Oscar contender about a war refugee is different from other documentaries in that it is 95% animated.”
• IVAN’S CHILDHOOD—Looking for insights into the lingering influence of the Soviet Union on life in Russia? Ed reaches back to 1962 to recommend an early film by the famous Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky.
• WINTER ON FIRE—“I hope that freedom-loving people all over the world will tune in to Netflix’s new documentary. An Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, it provides a fitting prelude to the current violence unleashed by the ruthless land-grabbing Russian tyrant, as well as a fitting tribute to the brave people opposing him.”
• CARRIE’S WAR—“The story is set during the London Blitz when the decision was made to ship the children out into the country-side for their safety and their parents’ peace of mind.”
• WRITING WITH FIRE—”This Oscar-nominated documentary’s title must have been derived from the white hot passion of journalist Meera Devi and her colleagues at their newspaper located in northern India. Khabar Lahariya, which means in English “Waves of News,” is staffed by Dalit women.”
• BUTTER—“Virtually all teenagers have felt isolated and hopeless at times, if not by the obesity of the film’s Butter (Alex Kersting), then by some other difference that makes them feel judged and rejected by peers,” Ed writes in recommending this film.
• DEATH ON THE NILE—”He’s back, that French detective with a mustache so large that it could be regarded as a fire hazard. Just as he was a passenger in 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, so Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is again a passenger, but this time on a luxury paddle boat a few hundred miles south—the Nile River.”
• DRIVE MY CAR—”This film of bereavement and guilt was adapted by director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and co-writer Takamasa Oe from a short story of the same name by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.”
• CYRANO—Ed urges us not to miss the new version of the Cyrano story, starring Peter Dinklage. He also likes the musical additions. “The film’s songs do not pop out and burn themselves into your memory, but thy do add poetry to the play and enhance greatly the drama,” he writes.

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