Dear Friends,

Wow, what a year, even by my standards... My speaking and research took me on more than 100,000 miles of international flights — from Europe to Asia to Oceania — in addition to my domestic travel. (Watch the highlights video.)

I was particularly happy to spend more time in Hong Kong, which I think could be the most important place in the world right now (read why); to return to Sydney and Melbourne, two jewels of the English-speaking world; to teach in New Zealand for the first time (hopefully not the last); and to explore Sri Lanka, one of the friendliest places I've ever been to and one of the most interesting.

As usual, you can find observations and photos on my Human Stories site. (I'm a little behind, though, so some photos only made it as far as Instagram.) And watch for longer pieces with more depth soon.

For now I'm taking a short break, except for some local teaching.

Then I'm hitting the road again in November. I still have some availability, so if you're interested in a presentation or scholar-in-residence weekend, now's the time to start planning. To take the first step, call me (718-834-1080) or reply to this update.

After all, criss-crossing the world has once again highlighted for me the enduring value of communal learning. I'd love to slot your community into my schedule this year.

Joel

Speaking in Dothan, AL

I'm scheduling single presentations and scholar-in-residence weekends starting in November. Find detailed descriptions here:

• Topics for synagogues
• Topics for churches
• Topics for universities

Some of my most popular topics include:

• Ancient Answers to Good and Evil . The second half of the Adam and Eve story, missing from the Bible. Abraham's formative childhood. The mysterious Enoch. And the way all three ancient texts explore the nature of life and explain good and evil. (Jewish / Christian / Interfaith)

• The Inside Scoop on Israel . Through a series of vignettes from his personal experience as a frequent visitor to Israel and as a writer for the Jerusalem Post, Dr. Hoffman brings an insider's look that moves beyond the headlines to explore what's really going on in the Holy Land. Non-political and non-controversial, this is an uplifting way of exploring and celebrating Israel, while at the same time learning more about how the country works and who its diverse inhabitants are. (Jewish / Christian / Interfaith)

• Four Exiles and Four Spiritual Revolutions . A whirlwind tour of 3,000 years of Judaism, focusing on three spiritual revolutions and the exiles that led to each, then the most recent revolution: modern Judaism. How are we, today, like the prophets and like the authors of the Talmud? How is the 21st century like the Golden Age of Spain? And what will we build for future generations? (Jewish)

• Will the Real Bible Please Stand Up ? What does the Bible really say about violence? About marriage? About men and women? The Bible has been reinterpreted and misinterpreted almost from the day it was written, so most people reading the Bible now have very little sense of the original text. We'll peel back 2,000 years of revisionism and take a look at the Bible as it originally was. (Jewish / Christian / Interfaith)

• The Bible Doesn't Say That . The original Hebrew of the Ten Commandments doesn't say "don't covet" or "don't kill." The translation "the Lord is my shepherd" is misleading, and the English phrase "with all your heart and all your soul" is just wrong. Come learn how modern translation techniques expose what the words of the Bible originally meant. (Jewish / Christian / Interfaith)

more topics...

These are just starting points. I tailor my visits to match each destination because I know every community is different. If you're interested in exploring some possibilities, let me know.

Travel Spotlight

With so much travel I couldn't pick just one image this time. So here's that collage again.

Even though I travel for people, animal photos always have a place in my heart, whether it's kangaroos on a suburban street in Australia or elephants on a highway in Sri Lanka or a monkey drinking Starbucks in India. Then there's architecture, and natural beauty, and of course the people themselves. Anyway, I couldn't decide.

Books

I don't often highlight my books in these updates, but as I write this, Amazon is offering a whopping 80% discount on the Kindle version of The Bible's Cutting Room Floor. I don't know how these things work so I can't say how long it will last. If you don't have the book yet, now might be a good time to pick it up before the discount expires. (And unless you really love history, start with Chapter 5.)

Especially in the context of war and politics, I keep coming back to involvement and responsibility, and the way many people mix them up, feeling responsible just because they are involved. Are they?

"I was so proud of my New-York taxi-hailing skills, artfully applied in Kowloon, Hong Kong, of all places. But then the police got involved.

By the time I was done, I was wondering about involvement and responsibility.

What about the beggar girl I encountered in India, for instance? I gave her some money (against my host's wishes). But sometimes I see children and don't give them money. Is that immoral? If I'm responsible, maybe it is; if I'm merely involved, maybe not.

Interpersonal relationships are similar. When someone we care about is unhappy, we usually want to help. But success often depends on first separating our involvement from any responsibility we may have.

And what about war? No one wants to be involved, but we may have no choice. No one wants to be responsible, and there we do have a choice."

Keep reading / comment

I'd love to know what you think!



The invention of language

Travel highlights