It's Monday, just Monday, but I already feel like I am swimming fast to get to the shore. We have an amazing variety of interviews for you this week -- four meditations on what it means to be Michelle Obama, and what Michelle Obama means to us. The collaboration is with The Root, the online publication that chronicles the black zeitgeist. That conversation will be on tomorrow's program.

Also tomorrow, a Wisdom Watch conversation with Washington, D.C., powerbroker Vernon Jordan.

And, voices from Israel and Palestine ...

In acknowledgement and commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, a new book captures 60 voices -- half Israeli, half Palestinian. The the book itself is in English, Arabic and Hebrew. Amazing to look at. Tomorrow, we will have two voices from the book and the author, editor.

And that's not all, but all I have time for now because I have to get to work.

But finally, a programming note. If you listened to our Faith Matters segment Friday, you heard us talk about faith and how it sometimes conflicts with end-of-life care. We focused on the story of Motl Brody, a 12-year-old Jewish boy who suffered a brain tumor, which left him brain dead. He was on life support after doctors concluded they'd unsuccessfully done all they could to save him. His parents opposed any decision to remove him from life support, citing religious convictions. Although without most of his faculties, their son's heart was still beating.

Motl Brody died on Saturday.

For many, this case demands such serious reflection, both religiously and ethically. Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld sent me an e-mail today, and directed me to a recent sermon of his on this subject. I think it's worth sharing ...

categories: 'Behind the Curtain' at TMM

4:33 - November 17, 2008