After teaching the book of Genesis for over 30 years in synagogues, churches, and universities, I have published "Reading Genesis Again For The First Time-- A Radical Commentary" (Amazon, July 2024)., It's a very different, but objectively honest commentary: there is a reason there are two Creation stories, and neither one is meant to explain how the world was created; the serpent is not evil, it’s God's agent; Adam and Eve did not sin, in fact God needed them to eat the fruit to get them out of the garden; Cain did not murder his brother, and should be seen as a "tragic hero"; Isaac, far from being a "patriarch," is a weak and seriously damaged child-man; Esau is not the evil twin of Jacob, but a sympathetic character to be pitied; and the Joseph narrative is essentially a story about the rivalry between Reuven and Judah for leadership of the clan.

Looking back through the years, I realize how formative was my experience at Oberlin, both intellectually and socially. I did not, and could not, have known that lessons learned then would eventually direct me along unexpected and fulfilling paths, and for that I am grateful.