Self-Care Is Not Selfish
A tale is told of a well-known 17th-century Chasidic rabbi named Zusya, who, when he died, went to stand before the judgment seat of God. As he waited for God to appear, he grew nervous thinking about his life and how little he had done.
Who Wants to Ride?
"Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world." -Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 4:1 (22a)
In Defense of Having a Religion
The High Holy Day season was not an easy time for my family this year, as my son passed away in January. Rosh HaShanah includes a Torah portion about a father who almost sacrifices his son; I would not have passed Abraham’s test.
Raising Courageous Kids
In raising my two daughters, I had always hoped they would have courage to face life challenges with confidence and character. When they were young, I anticipated that those challenges would be the normal – difficult teachers, college rejections, and boyfriends who dumped them.
Israel Has Election Fever
The holidays are over and Israel is open for business. The relative quiet that characterizes the chaggim has been replaced by the type of chaos that only politics can create. Israel is going to have early elections on January 22, 2013.
Act Now! Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Israeli Election to Come Early
As sequestration looms over American political discourse, Israel too faces its own financial impasse.
A Moral Obligation for Food Day
What would Passover be without matzah ball soup, Hanukkah without latkes, Thanksgiving without turkey? For the Jewish – and indeed American – people, food plays a pivotal role in who and what we are. So let’s celebrate it with Food Day on October 24.
Mental Health Awareness and the LGBT Community
The Jewish community tends to think of October as the month to recuperate from the High Holy Days, but October is also the National Mental Health Awareness Month.
What’s up on the Temple Mount?
Over the last week, escalating tension on the Temple Mount has resulted in the arrest of both Jews and Arabs. The violence on the holy site has led to accusations of police brutality and a call for an official Knesset investigation.