Galilee Diary: Galilee encounters
Simultaneous Joy and Pain: The Wisdom of the Counting of the Omer
This year at our Passover seder, I experienced something deeply powerful which I had not felt in the context of Passover before.
On Jewish Unity
I met him on my flight back to Boston from Atlanta. He was a Muslim student from Dubai, I was a Jewish student from the United States. We had come from very different places but were on our way to the same university.
Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Orange Slices
The use of sherry vinegar, cumin, and oranges speaks volumes about the Iberian influence on the cooking of South America.
Leaving the Fleshpots of Egypt for the Promised Land of Israel, Then and Now
In our portion of the week, B'haalot'cha, particularly in Numbers 11, we find a famous and classic episode of the murmurings of our people in the desert.
Sufficiency Consciousness: A Path to God
God said to Moses, "Speak to Aaron and say to him: 'When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps shall illuminate the menorah.'" (Numbers 8:1, 2) These two simple verses begin a diverse web of instructions and stories that comprise this week's Torah portion, Parashat B’haalot’cha.
"Daddy, Are We There Yet?"
There's a joke that started making the rounds when Jews from the former Soviet Union began arriving in large numbers in Israel:
"So, really, how was life back in Russia?" a Sabra asks a new immigrant, just arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union.
The Committee Meeting from Heaven
Not so long ago, in a congregation that could be your own, lived a man named Joseph Smithstein. His synagogue, Congregation Echad, was once vibrant, but over time things had changed. Two years ago, because nobody wanted to take the helm, Joe, a new member, became the president.