All posts tagged: Maimonides

When Money Walks In, Does God Walk Out?

When Money Walks In, Does God Walk Out?

Published by Sam Flores

  After their conversation with Dr. Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Amber and Tom return to a provocative line attributed to Quincy Jones: “When money walks in the room, God walks out.” Is that true – or does money simply expose what already has our attention? Drawing on listener responses, spiritual traditions, and pop-culture moments like “We Are the World” and “Man in the Mirror,” they explore whether money is a rival to faith or just a tool – and why the real question may be what sits at the center of our lives. They consider real-world dilemmas: What do you do when funding threatens to soften your message? How do you use influence without losing integrity? And how might PEMDAS (that’s right: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) provide us with a roadmap? It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about money, power, and the courage it takes to keep meaning at the center – especially when the stakes get high, and the commas increase. For more episodes and info, visit Money, Meet Meaning.   This transcript was …

A language course is reviving Moroccan Jewish culture and bridging Middle East divides

A language course is reviving Moroccan Jewish culture and bridging Middle East divides

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Growing up in Fez, Morocco, Yona Elfassi was always aware of the history of the city, which has been a center of culture, learning and spirituality since the ninth century. Home to great minds such as the 12th-century philosopher and jurist Ibn Rushd and his contemporary, the physician and codifier of Jewish law Maimonides, the city was shaped by Jewish, Arab, Amazigh, Spanish and French cultures. These influences left a deep imprint on Elfassi, 37. “In my family there were (many) different languages — Moroccan Arabic, French, Hebrew at the synagogue, and my dad also speaks Amazigh, Berber,” said Elfassi. Music, too, was a constant presence — from Andalusian to Flamenco, to Moroccan classic, to Moroccan chaabi popular, to Berber music,” he said. “We weren’t a family of professional musicians, but we were a family that lived with music.” As a Jewish resident of Morocco, Elfassi belongs to a tiny demographic, as 99% of Jews of Moroccan heritage today live elsewhere. After major emigrations in the 20th century, only around 2,500 Jews remain …