“I grew up thinking that if you don’t do Rosh Hashana right, then terrible things are going to happen,” Jamie commented during a discussion of the High Holidays. By the nods around the room, it was clear that he wasn’t the only one who grew up with the Jewish guilt strong around this time of […]
The qualities that foster independence are often the qualities that keep us apart from each other. Fostering our own personality, our individuality often creates divisiveness. So how do we create unity? How do we build community from individuals? We are currently experiencing this. It is no secret that leading up to October 7, Israel was […]
It’s a dark heavy time… our hostages are still not home, war rages on. And it’s Adar, the Jewish month which when our joy should increase. Is this feasible? Are we really supposed to be happy when Israel is at war? And how are we supposed to increase our joy just because the Hebrew calendar […]
“Ma, there’s a fire!” is not what I wanted to hear as I was preparing for Passover by self-cleaning the oven. This was followed shortly by an explosion as the oven’s glass door shattered, leaving glass and burn marks all over the kitchen. Thankfully no one was hurt (except the flooring, which bears the marks […]
The Jews are facing annihilation. This time, there seems to be no way out of their predicament. The king has issued a decree, and once the king has issued a decree there is no way of rescinding that decree. Yet, miracles of miracles, the Jews triumph! Out of seemingly nowhere, Esther, the quiet niece of […]
Having three teenage daughters, body image is a huge topic in my house. I hear my girls and their friends obsess over how they look, and it’s hard to hear. I desperately want to raise them with a healthy sense of body confidence. I want them to be comfortable in their skin — to feel […]
