The Torah In Haiku: Va-et'chanan
BRCA Gene Mutations: Preventative Surgery is Progress, But Not the Promised Land
On Sunday, October 6, 2013, Congregation Rodeph Shalom will partner with the Basser Research Center for BRCA for an educational program about BRCA gene mutations, which are related to breast, ovarian, and other cancers. This post is based on the d’var Torah delivered by Rabbi Jill Maderer on Friday, July 12, 2013.
The Power of Spending a Semester in Tel Aviv
I always imagined that studying in London would be incredible. My head filled with images of fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, nights attending West End theatre, and pictures of my friends and me with the Royal Guards at Buckingham Palace.
Galilee Diary: Carobs
One day [Rabbi Choni] was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree. He asked him, How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit? The man replied: Seventy years. He then further asked him: Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?
Shabbat and the Blessing of Family
As a teenager in Flint, MI, most of my peers spent their Friday evenings at the movies with friends or at high school football games. When I told my friends why I couldn't join them, they were flabbergasted.
Eikev: Celebrating the Birth of a Prince
Okay, I admit it. I am not overjoyed by the announcement of the birth of the future heir of the British throne. I do wish the new mum and dad all the best with their spanking new lad, but I don't join other Americans in finding this royal moment intoxicating.
Dancing in the Palm of God’s Hand
I can't seem to find a starting place in writing my reflections of Rosh HaShanah. It has become a tangled ball of string, and I’m not able to coax out a single strand. I thought about starting at the end. I could, but I don't know what that is either.
For Many Jewish Youth, Gay Marriage is a New Normal
I woke early one morning in June to hear the decisions of the United States Supreme Court on a pair of cases about marriage equality. Joy mixed with disappointment.
Confronting Alzheimer’s Disease and the Meaning of Tikkun Olam
I was very young when I first recognized my calling in life. My early experiences helped me grasp the importance of what I might accomplish if I could succeed at practicing medicine with compassion.
My Kids are Joining the Israeli Army
My aliyah to Israel has been a work in progress, a process that is still going on after 20 years. At each new stage in my family’s life, I am confronted with new realities.