Rabbi Jill’s Latest Blog Posts
Miracles All Around You: Hanukkah. Night 4
Tonight We Light Four Candles. Hanukkah is a celebration of miracles. There are several: the first is that during a time when the ancient temple was desecrated, a small quantity of oil that was only enough to last one night, actually burned for eight nights. Another is the miracle that a small band of Jews …
Memories That Sustain Us: Hanukkah, Night Three
In a moving piece from Hannah Arendt, she notices that dark times are not rare, but that we have a “right to expect some illumination.” Arendt writes that this illumination comes from human beings who kindle a light with the way they live their lives. When we remember those people who illuminated our lives, it …
Increase the Light: Hanukkah – Day 2
Lighting the Hanukkiah (Menorah) each night for eight nights is the central ritual of Hanukkah. We add a new candle each night, thereby increasing the light. The lighting of the candles on the Hanukkiah is symbolic of a miracle: A long time ago, when there was only enough oil to last one night, but it …
Bringing Light To Darkness: Hanukkah, Night One
Our theme this year for Hanukkah is “Bringing Light to Darkness.” The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah occurs in the darkest time of the year on the 25th night of the Hebrew month of Kislev. In 2023, the first night of Hanukkah is Thursday, December 7. Unlike other Jewish holidays, Hanukkah begins when the moon has …
Music As Comfort In This Painful Time: Playlists
In the initial shock of the aftermath of the October 7 massacres in Israel, and every day since people say to me: “I have no words.” Whether they are speaking about the hostages, the slaughters, or the photos of young soldiers dying in Israel, or the children and innocents in Gaza who sit among the …
Prayer For Those Not Ready To Forgive
The design of this season compels us to forgive, to open our hearts, and sometimes to re-experience wounds. Some of us have suffered profound trauma, at the hand of parents, partners, or friends, They might be fresh bruises or from many years ago – They bubble below the surface, having been pushed away, but now …
Bringing The Gift Of Your Life: Terumah
(This piece is a contribution to Midrash HaZak. See more info below on this wonderful project.) One day, I was perusing my dear friend Karen’s bookshelves because I was always interested in what new finds she had acquired. She commented to me that she had stopped purchasing new books. Instead, she was beginning to focus …
10 Day Mindfulness Challenge – Day 1
Today is Day One of our 10-Day Jewish Mindfulness Challenge. Welcome! Here’s how it will work: When you sign up for the challenge, you will receive an email from me each morning for ten days, as a reminder to meditate or practice mindfulness. Each day I will recommend a kavannah or guidance for the day and …
