Frank Herbert

A teacher's look at education from the inside - reflecting on daily life inside of a Texas 5A public high-school classroom. As I look back through my fifth year of high school teaching, I will recount significant moments from the 180 days of life among 2,400 adolescents, struggling to meet the daily challenges with patience, respect and love.

Hailey Heard

In the sixteenth century, the great Kabbalist Isaac Luria coined the phrase "tikkun olam," which can be translated to "repairing the world." He believed that the true role of humanity was to engage in the ongoing evolution and spiritualization of the universe. Originally, God created vessels to hold the perfect creation of Divine Light, but these vessels shattered into many pieces and fell to the material realm. As humans, it is our duty to pick up these pieces and help God reunite each one in order to restore the perfect world God had originally created. Today, tikkun olam is associated with social justice. It is believed that Jews, as well as all human beings, are here to perform services to the society as well as God. We must work together, day by day, to unite these mystical sparks and repair our broken universe. The question is, how do we do it?

Jerry Kircus

Unitarian principles of justice and inherent worth and dignity are put to the test when I am called upon to defend the frequently indefensible. I find there is something I can do for each of them if I look. I will have some war stories (names and stories altered) to illustrate what I do.

Donna McCann

In which I will rant on about the many ways in which truth has come under increasing attack from all manner of scoundrels and charlatans with nefarious or self-serving agendas. Some of the examples will make you laugh, and some will make you cry, but hopefully we can build some defenses against the onslaught in this strange, post-Orwellian parody of reality in which we live.

It is with a sated, spoiled sigh that we say thank you to Helen, Peggy and Jessica for a month of Sunday treats. Luckily we have Philip, Kay B. and Marolen standing by to tickle our taste buds in August.

Beth McCann                         08/05

Clyde Clubb                            08/06

Sharon Bolls                           08/13

Danny Presson                        08/18

Jerry Kircus                            08/19

Al Hummadi                            08/20

Anne Semrau                          08/31

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Sunday, July 17th was a banner day for us. Three people signed the membership book, joining our fold. Their "bios," submitted to the President of the Board, gave us some insight into their personal histories and made us all the more interested in getting to know them better. It is an honor and a privilege to share what they wrote with you.

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