During the Days of Awe, the blasts of the shofar are meant to awaken our slumbering soul. As Maimonides writes: In the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana, there is an allusion, as though saying: Awake you sleepers from your sleep, and slumberers arise from your slumbering…All who forget the truth in the follies […]

Years ago, I was sitting innocently on a bus with Tanach (Bible) in hand when a man began to educate me on what he saw as the Bible’s mistakes. He believed Saul, the first king of Israel, was cheated: he was the better man and should never have lost his throne to David – David […]

Dear Jew in the City- Elul is supposed to be a time of introspection, but so many of us have already been introspective during this giant time out. What does that mean practically to search one’s heart and come close to God right now? -Chana Dear Chana, I have to be honest that, when I […]

Years ago, I had just arrived at seminary in Israel and soon after I learned that a friend who was key to inspiring my journey had misrepresented herself to me. I was confused, upset and didn’t know how to continue having a spiritual experience when I had been so let down. I confided in a […]

Dear Jew in the City, My friend said you can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery with tattoos – is that true? Thanks, Alexander   Dear Alexander- That Jews with tattoos cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery is a persistent myth, right up there with “Jews don’t believe in Hell.” And, like “Jews don’t […]

Approaching Shavuot and counting the Omer–the Kabbalistic process between Passover and Shavuot—I remember my teshuva story. I was an Israelite unknowingly enslaved to a foreign culture, only to break through the goo of exile and receive the treasure of Torah. I returned to myself in isolation. Perhaps it had to be that way. I was living […]