The Music of Avinu Malkeinu
In the game “Truth-or-Dare,” I choose “truth” nearly every time. I’m not much of a dare-taker. Thus, if you and I were playing “Special Edition Truth-or-Dare: High Holy Days,” I would confess that the prayer Avinu Malkeinu provides me with both my second-favorite liturgical moment and my second-greatest pet peeve of the year’s liturgy. (Note: Even though I may have to repent for it, I will leave you in suspense about my favorite liturgical moment and my greatest liturgical pet peeve. Also, “Special Edition Truth-or-Dare: High Holy Days” is fictional, although I hereby declare copyright in the event Mattel or Hasbro comes knocking at my door.)
A Week of Trauma and Triumph
On the same day the U.S. embassy opened in Jerusalem, more than 60 Palestinians lost their lives at the Gaza border. How can we bring balance to these disparate events?
Wrestling with Torah and More on the Way to Adult B'nai Mitzvah
In the process of becoming b’nai mitzvah, adult students grapple, struggle, and wrestle, and in the end, always bring Torah to life and life to Torah.
Remembering the Lessons of Two Different Ruths
Every year as Shavuot approaches, I think about my mother. That’s because her name was Ruth -- just like the book we Jews read on Shavuot.
Choosing Judaism: Why One Grandmother Made a Public Commitment
Last fall’s tragedy in Pittsburgh finally prompted Linda North, now known as Ruth bat Avraham v’Sarah, to set a date for her conversion to Judaism.
When Your Child Teaches You About Revelation
Life can strip our ability to stand in awe. When the rent is due, the refrigerator is bare, relationships run us ragged, we struggle to find space for the extraordinary.
Is There a Blessing for a Blintz?
When we moved to Israel, I kept Grandmother’s blintz pans. They were a link to the past: to heritage, to history, to family.
Shavuot: Counting Up to the Celebration
Just as the light grows with each night of Hanukkah, so too do our joy and excitement grow as we count the Omer for 49 days on the way to Shavuot.
On Shavuot: "Re-Covenanting" as a Unified People
Remarkable unity characterized the Jewish people in the days before receiving Torah at Sinai. Today, such unity isn’t always visible in the Jewish world.