My parents raised my sisters and me not to judge people based on their outer appearance, and throughout my life, I’ve proudly spoken out against racism wherever I’ve seen it. But, in this time of international reckoning, set off by the horrific murder of George Floyd, it seems only right to go deeper. To not […]
If you’re like me, the COVID-19 outbreak led to a last-minute scramble for Pesach plans and perhaps an unexpected, but very enjoyable, first seder at home. With the flurry of activity that the initial shutdown brought, many are now beginning to reluctantly settle into a new normal – at least for the forseeable future. With […]
At week number whatever this is of stay-at-home orders, many of us are feeling a little… bored. Last night, even my 6th-grader, who I don’t think had complained even once since his school closed, finally voiced some dissatisfaction with doing the same thing every day. (His school is actually doing an excellent job maintaining a […]
Hallel is a section of the Seder with lots of effusive language towards God. One section “min hametzar karasi kah” (from the straits I called out to God) is especially relevant in these challenging times.
When so many things that we relied on and were comforted by get stripped away, we have a chance to start at the basics, take an account of all we do still have, and say thank you for it. We all have a personal list of Dayenus (which literally means “It would have been enough […]
Contrary to how some have described their somewhat suddenly isolated lives, I can’t possibly accept viewing the current reality as “the new normal.” This is no kind of normal. Recoiling when someone reaches to hand you something, steering your kids across the street to avoid the neighbors, making sure to let the mail sit for […]
