Happy New Year! There is no platform today. Enjoy the holiday!

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society At our first Sunday gathering of each year, we remember important life lessons and inspiring memories left to us by those who have died. Members in-person and on Zoom are encouraged to share some words about how those lessons and memories help us live more fully, joyfully, and ethically. [...]

Rabbi Julie Greenberg Rabbi Greenberg will speak about the rise in antisemitism around the world. Why now? Where does this hatred come from and what does it mean? How can we combat it? Greenberg serves Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir~Heart of the City and also is director of Climate Justice and Jobs at POWER Interfaith. In addition, [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society The recent surge of hostility toward Jews in the United States is terrifying. Neo-Nazis march in our streets and dine with powerful politicians. Antisemitism, stoked by lies and hate, is used to generate attention, money, and votes. Building on Rabbi Julie Greenberg’s comments from the prior week, Hugh will [...]

We are thrilled to announce that our next All-Societies Platform is taking place on January 29th! Brought to you by our amazing team of Ethical Education Directors, we will hear from the directors themselves about their program as well as from the parents on what goes into raising our ethical leaders of tomorrow. The parents [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society “The Japanese have disappeared.” That disembodied voice in Julie Otsuka's novel The Buddha in the Attic was speaking about the 120,000 innocent citizens of Japanese descent consigned to internment camps during World War II. Considered among the worst-ever Supreme Court decisions, Korematsu v. United States stood 74 years, until it was [...]

Yohuru Williams University of St. Thomas In honor of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, Yohuru Williams, professor of history and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, will explore the event’s history, legacy, and implications for today. Williams is the author of [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society There has been renewed attention in the last few years to the link between public health and civic responsibility. That connection was recognized in the 16th century by Martin Luther, who wrote, “It is even more shameful for a person to pay no heed to his own body and [...]

Casey Butcher POWER Interfaith Casey Butcher, POWER’s community organizer in South Philadelphia and Center City, will discuss the history of Philadelphia’s Chinatown, its outsized importance for the city and region, and the current struggle to protect its integrity. If the proposed arena construction is approved, the neighborhood is expected to become a construction site for [...]

Hugh Taft-Morales Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society Traditional patriarchal narratives portray leaders as drum majors, out in front, leading the parade. Felix Adler hesitated before settling on “Leader” as the title for clergy in Ethical Culture. He worried that loyalty to the drum major would dominate. He wanted everyone to become a leader. How should Ethical [...]