Tu BiShvat: Happy Birthday, You Beautiful Trees!
My commute to work every morning is not typical. I drive through the Roaring Fork Valley with majestic, now snow-covered, mountains on my left and my right. The sky is often a clear, bright blue, and the sun glimmers off the powdery snow that shifts in the wind. I am the cantor at the Aspen Jewish Congregation, and I certainly feel blessed to live and work in such a beautiful place. This quote from Isaiah is particularly fitting for this part of the country, as the people here are very in touch with the nature around them - often finding their spiritual center while skiing a run or hiking in the hills.
In Honor of Tu BiShvat, Some Facts About Trees
Tu BiShvat, the birthday of the trees (or the new year of the trees) is a minor Jewish holiday.
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.
Shavuot Backyard Fun: Making Blueberry Balsamic Ice Cream
This ice cream is made with 100% kid power! I love this process because it’s fun, interactive, and takes some stamina.
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.
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.