The Elul Mitzvah Challenge: Join In!
In Pirkei Avot, the rabbis wrote, “Mitzvah goreret mitzvah, averah goreret averah,” one mitzvah (commandment/good deed) leads to another mitzvah, and one transgression leads to another transgression.
An Arizona Congregation Forms a New Kind of "Israel Bonds"
Jews of a certain age might share similar early impressions of Israel. In Chicago, where I grew up, the young congregants at Lawn Manor Hebrew Congregation were inculcated with a firm commitment to the Jewish state.
Finding Our Fergusons: An Opportunity to Do Something Extraordinary
Standing on the steps of the Old Court House in St. Louis the night before Michael Brown’s funeral, we stopped marching and chanting, and instead prayed quietly for his family and the families of so many black men who have been shot by police.
Finding Shabbat When the Holiday’s Magic Seems to Have Disappeared
When my son Sammy was in preschool, Shabbat was magical.
Shabbat: A Break from Busyness as Usual
There is so much left at the end of the day for which I have no time or energy that I often wonder if I'll be able to get to some of the projects on my to-do list before Pesach.
What Does Mark Zuckerberg's Shirt Have to Do With Jewish Teachings?
In a recent interview, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was asked why he wears the same shirt everyday.
The Shalom of Shabbat
We live in a world in which we are constantly overworked, overtired, and overstressed, leaving us with the feeling that we have so much to accomplish and not enough time to do it all.
We Get to Be Jewish
Growing up the child of a Jew-by-choice, everything about Judaism was a choice for us. For my mother, Judaism was a gift. She felt very proud to count herself among the Jewish people. She felt blessed to have the opportunity to do Jewish things.
A Lifetime of Conflict: My Son, the IDF Soldier
It is Shabbat, and my wife Anat and I are relaxing in lounge chairs in the small backyard of our home.