How Tikkun Olam and Pikuah Nefesh Will Help Me Prepare: A #BlogElul Post
Last week I had lunch with a rabbi friend who told me he’s in the midst of preparing four different sermons for the upcoming High Holidays.
Fostering Interfaith Understanding in the Western Galilee
A couple of years ago, my congregation Emet VeShalom’s musical ensemble, joined with volunteers from nearby Nes Ammim, a lovely Christian, European Zionist village, to hold a joint concert called “Li
Be a Blessing
In parshat Lech L’cha God commanded Abraham to leave his home, his father’s house, and the land of his birth. He also commanded Abraham: v’heyeh bracha (“Be a Blessing). Here’s a song and a poem.
To Do is to Understand
When God gave us the Torah at Sinai -- so says our tradition -- we responded with na'aseh v'nishmah, "We will do and we will hear." Sounds kind of backwards, doesn't it? How can we follow instructions if we don't hear them first?
Falling Stars and a Sense of Wonder
This week, I watched the stars fall.
It was actually the Perseid meteor shower. I woke up before dawn, drove away from the city lights, stood outside, tilted my head back, and waited.
Why ‘Princesses: Long Island’ Doesn’t Work
The debut season of Bravo’s reality show Princesses: Long Island has finally come to a close and I think it’s pretty safe to declare it a disappointment.
No Text is Worth a Life: A High Holidays Pledge
As we turn to thoughts of a new year and a new start, here is a pledge to refrain from texting while driving. Texting while driving is responsible for a quarter of all car accidents today, and is six times more dangerous than drunk driving.
To Be is to Stand For
My dear friend and former colleague Elissa Froman passed away in March from complications related to Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I first met Elissa when I began working at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in a one-year advocacy fellowship.
Preparing for the High Holidays... With Chocolate!
As we enter into the Jewish month of preparation prior to the High Holidays, Elul, I am thinking about the spiritual aspects of chocolate.