Note: The below story is violent. In addition, I talk about an African version of Christianity that seeks to leverage the spirits of ancestors to help in the present world. It is a concept that (as presented) is very foreign to most forms of Judaism. But some do pray at the graves of great Rabbis […]
I recently interviewed with the editor of SassonMag. She writes: Author Joseph Cox has an unusual, Torah-based vision for peaceful co-existence that flavors much of his fiction writing. In this fascinating interview, Joseph describes how his unconventional childhood in Oregon contributed to his highly original take on Jewish fiction. And also explains how a Jewish […]
I open my eyes and am greeted by the image of a woman. I think I know her from somewhere, she seems very familiar. I’m in a bathroom, and she is there as well. The edges of my vision seem hazy, the lights near the mirror seem ill-defined. But she is there. She’s sharply defined. […]
While the following story contains imagery commonly associated with other belief systems, it is part of a dvar Torah (explanation of Torah). In other words: be patient, there’s a point 😊 The thin green smell of the boiling cactus is strong within the hut. Its moisture coats the walls and ceiling. Its smell mixes with […]
The lighting is poor in the library, and the furniture is flimsy and cheap. The place has the non-smell of an almost totally concrete structure. But I am happy here. I’m as happy here as I’ve ever been. All around me, men are studying. Some are studying law, others are simply trying to learn how […]
The first book of Torah Shorts (for Vayikra) has been published! It contains the stories I published with that book as well as a bonus story only available with the book. It is available on Amazon and Book Depository and I’m taking orders for a bulk shipment to Israel (for 50NIS). Just contact me if […]
Since the Shoah, Jews have made a point of bringing attention to anti-Semitism. By highlighting those who hate Jews, we hoped to forestall the reemergence of Jew-hatred. Perhaps, for a time, we successfully shamed the world into accepting and even honoring us as we returned to our homeland. But today Jew-hatred and the acceptance of […]
The alley I called home was poorly lit and strewn with discarded needles, food wrappers and the other detritus of homeless living. All of that was bad, but what was worse was the smell. It was a smell of unwashed bodies of rot and of mold. It was the smell of despair. That smell alone […]
Michael’s Story It all started in a bar. The place had all the touches. Dim lighting. The smell of some wood polish. A scattering of mass market mementos that were meant to look cool. And the sorts of perfect lines and surfaces that told you this was a mass-market beer-flogging chain, not some place full […]
When the Internet came to life in the 1990s, many people saw it as an opportunity for greater and deeper human involvement and interaction. But that wasn’t what happened, obviously. Even as the reality became clearer and clearer, a few people still held out hope for something better. My mother was one of them. She […]
