Displaying 21 - 26 of 26
Unetaneh Tokef in the Time of a Pandemic
The Unetaneh Tokef has a long list of ways that people die, often violently, a way of shocking us into realizing our mortality. The original prayer, however, can be traumatizing. This version seeks a more empathetic approach to mortality.
Shards of Glass: A Poem for the New Year
Remind my tired soul, I beg You / My kitchen is far too clean and the china is still in the basement / Remind me how to stop the mourning / for tables that don’t need extensions / quiet synagogues with no children to be shushed...
I Fell Off a Mountain – and Lived to Thank the Man Who Rescued Me
During this pandemic, I was determined that my hero receive his medal in person – and I could think of no better location for his medal presentation than the top of the mountain where he rescued me,
Feeding Your Soul and Memory
Last year, my rabbis asked me to give a speech on Yom Kippur afternoon about creating a day of ultimate tranquility on the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." I expressed my
Two New Films, "An American Pickle" and "Palm Springs," Reflect High Holiday Themes
Both films show us ways to examine our flaws and make amends, either with the people we’ve wronged or for the ways we’ve scorned the sacrifices of those who came before us.
How Does a Passover Seder Prepare Us for Yom Kippur?
Every year at the time that we celebrate Passover, Jews read this week's Torah portion, Acharei Mot. What is the connection between Acharei Mot and the Passover ritual that coincides with the reading of this portion?