Episode Summary

This episode introduces the mission statement of the God Squad: We know enough about how we are different but not enough about how we are all the same. We will try in my small way to unify a deeply divided America by focusing on the things we all experience in life rather than the political, economic, racial and religious differences that have torn us apart.

The God Squad will not be a political podcast. It will be a podcast offering inspirational stories of hope and unity. This will not be a religious podcast, but it will frequently explore religious beliefs common to all the world’s faiths and also common to those who consider themselves spiritual but not necessarily religious. There is a common core to our lives that has been forgotten and the God Squad is about helping us to remember. Tommy died in 2016 of Parkinson’s Disease and I miss him terribly, but our vision and work must go on.

Episode Notes

Our podcast begins where it must begin—with the love I had for my partner in the God Squad, Father Tom Hartman. In this first episode I tell the story of our first meeting. In 1987 Passover and Easter fell on the same days and I was booked on News 12 Long Island with Tommy to do a brief interview on the two holidays. I did not really want to be there because I thought television trivializes everything it touches, but my assistant booked me anyway because she thought it would be great to see a priest and a rabbi on TV together. The news person asked me, “So, Rabbi what is the difference between Passover and Easter?” I just blurted out, “Well, there are no chocolate bunnies in Passover and no horseradish in Easter.” She was thrilled with my answer but Tommy was kicking me under the table. 

Two hours later Tommy and I were still talking in the parking lot. I told him that I was happy to meet him but I was going home that day to accept an opportunity to be the senior rabbi at a huge synagogue in Miami. Tommy just looked at me at said, “You are not going to Miami because I had a dream last night and in the dream God came to me and said, “Tomorrow you are going to meet someone I love and I want you to give him this message, “I am not through with you here,” I was stunned but for some reason I did not understand at the time, I believed him. I immediately called Miami and told them I was not going to accept their kind offer. They were shocked and asked why so I told them, “Well I was just visited by an angel with a message for me that God is snot through with me here.” They said, “Rabbi frankly we are glad you are not coming to us because you need immediate psychiatric care.” 

Years later when Tommy and I were speaking at the Kravitz Center a group from the synagogue came to me and said, “Well Rabbi we were wrong. Congratulations on the God Squad. You were right. Tommy was your angel.” That is why I believe in angels, and that is why I believe angels enter all our lives at the most unexpected times.