The Bulgarian Jewish Kitchen
Thoughts from a Newly Ordained Rabbi
Pirkei Avot 2:2
On Faith, Trust, and Kindergarten
Tomorrow, my oldest child begins kindergarten, and I’m not sure who’s more nervous. My sweet, sensitive, 95-year-old-Jewish-man-trapped–in-the-body-of-5-year-old son has expressed numerous concerns, ranging from: “What if I don’t make friends?” to “Where will the bathrooms be?” I tell him not to worry, that it won’t be so different from his cherished preschool in my synagogue (where everyone knows him, where is he most comfortable outside of our home) - but I know it will be completely new and very different.
The Holiness of Separation
As a kid, Shabbat meant brisket. I loved that. Every once in a while, my mother would get inspired and feel the need to… cook? No, she always cooked in those days. It wasn't until many years later that dinner was more likely to be ordered than made.
The Holiness of Separation
As a kid, Shabbat meant brisket. I loved that. Every once in a while, my mother would get inspired and feel the need to… cook? No, she always cooked in those days.
Passover: Customs and Rituals
The Many Languages of Religion
Parashat Noach is filled with intense drama. We witness the flood, the survival of Noah and his family, and God's promise to never again destroy humanity. Tucked into the end of the parashah is another seminal event: the attempted construction of the Tower of Babel.
Planning for 7 Billion: Water Scarcity
This post is part of our Planning for 7 Billion series, highlighting the challenges posed by a quickly growing global population. Two and a half years ago I celebrated Passover in China, attending Seder with Kehillat Beijing
L’arche ou le Triomphe?
In Parashat Noach, the Torah builds on the founding myths of Parashat B’reishit by showing us a fascinating cycle of destruction and rebuilding, speaking both to the immense positive power of human planning and execution, and to the inherent negative possibilities that come with it.