5 Books to Help You Prepare for the High Holiday Season
The real preparation for the upcoming Days of Awe is the work I need to put into myself. To be the best model for my congregants, I must practice what I preach.
On Chocolate and Children: High Holiday Reflections
Our daughter-in-law gave birth to our first grandchild. A couple of months later, On the Chocolate Trail was published. Each whispers of mortality and immortality.
On Yom Kippur, Hearing Isaiah’s Prophetic Voice at the Kotel
On Yom Kippur, Isaiah’s powerful prophetic metaphors call us to reflect upon the moral and spiritual shortcomings that stand in the way of the Jewish people’s progress.
Honoring the Matriarchs and Our Vibrant Jewish Tradition
My involvement with Judaism began in college, I engaged in Jewish culture in my kitchen and cooking became an accessible path into a world of Jewish tradition.
8 Ways to Pledge to Be Audaciously Hospitable This Yom Kippur
If we commit to honest introspection and community assessment, by next Yom Kippur we can be closer to our ultimate goal of a more whole, just, and compassionate world.
In the Wake of Irma: Starting With Silence to Rebuild
For one rabbi, silence at this season of renewal is an appropriate way to start to rebuild and shape our world after Hurricane Irma.
Hannah’s Prayer: Seeking Wholeness in the Face of Mental Illness
As the blast of the shofar awakens our souls this High Holiday season, so, too, can it awaken us to the pleas of people who suffer with mental illness.
Why the Un’taneh Tokef Scares Me and What We Can Do About It
The Un’taneh Tokef scares me. The tragic ends it describes – famine and thirst, flooding and drought – all are imminent possibilities in today’s world.
Repairing the Fallen Walls: What Isaiah 58 Means on Yom Kippur 5778
Now more than ever, we need spiritual voices of all faiths teaching us messages of justice and compassion. From a Jewish religious perspective, what does "repairing the fallen walls" mean?
What Can We Learn From the Juxtaposition of Joy and Sorrow?
Several times during the year, the Jewish calendar places joyous and challenging holidays near each other. What lessons we take from this juxtaposition?