Food, Faith, and Family: Three Poems for Passover
"You won’t smell soup cooking yet / or cake or kugel or tzimmes baking / on the day before Passover."
Offering a Blessing for the Springtime
As nature revives itself after the winter, it is customary to recite a special blessing, the blessing of the fruit trees, upon seeing the first blossoming trees.
How One Congregation Is Innovating to Expand its Vision and Reach
As a rabbi, I ruminate over these questions: What should synagogue life include? What should comprise a fulfilling year in the life of a synagogue?
How to Live a Happier Life
I don’t mean to make the idea of happiness simple and easy because it’s not – and it’s also not about avoiding our pain or struggles. Rather, it’s about seeking happiness in our lives through it all.
My (Privileged) Struggle to Find Meaning in Jewish Peoplehood
Weeks after I prayed at the Western Wall at the start of the new Hebrew month of Adar II, I still struggle to find meaning in the concept of Jewish peoplehood.
How to Bring Your Congregation's New Board Up to Speed
To ensure your new board gets up to speed effectively, here are things to do before, during, and after a board orientation.
How My Kippah is Both a Symbol of Pride and a Target for Hate
When we arrived in Israel, I removed it my kippah. I’d become comfortable wearing it in Toronto, but in Israel, I feared being questioned about my Jewish choice.
Finding My Jewish Soul: A Black Army Veteran’s Journey to Judaism
People are often shocked that I found Judaism despite being raised by Christians, being Black, and inheriting the memory of Jim Crow - but my life has been a perfect balance of pain and privilege.
Blending Tradition and Change Across the Generations
Early on, I learned that not all Jewish observance looks the same. In our global society, Jewish rituals will continue to evolve, giving way to new traditions.
Empty Chairs and Stained Napkins: A Passover Prayer for Peace
When we gather on April 19 and 20 to mark the first two nights of Passover, we will pray. And we will ask aloud: What makes this year’s seders different from all others