Facing Finitude
While it's true that much of life is uncertain, one thing we can all be sure of is that one day, our lives will end. We don't know how or when it will happen (hopefully after many happy years), but it will happen. How can we possibly prepare for this ultimate
Dying and Living with Dementia
Read about one man's journey to embrace life after he was diagnosed with early-stage dementia and how he found new meaning through studying Torah.
For Some of Us the Holidays Are Just…Hard
As we head into the holiday season, I am acutely aware of how much different this year is going to be than previous ones. I will be celebrating without my mom for the first time. My mother died in January 2021, and I'm still dealing with the unexpected waves of grief that wash over me, sometimes out of nowhere. As I head into this first winter holiday season without her, I'm not quite sure I know what to expect, other than everything is going to be very different.
Can I say the Mourner’s Kaddish for Non-Jewish Loved Ones?
Jewish people can say the Mourner's Kaddish for loved ones who are not Jewish. Many Jewish individuals have close family members from different backgrounds and religions and it is appropriate for Jews to observe mourning rituals for their loved ones.
This Tishah B'Av, Act as if There is No God
Tishah B'Av is a day of mourning, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples. In recent years, it's also a day to mourn other tragedies that have darkened Jewish history - the Romans putting down the Bar Kochba revolt, mass murders of Jewish communities during the Crusades, expulsions from England, France, and Spain in the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust.