Above form
The Call That is Answered by Presence
In this very week’s Torah portion (Shemot – coincidence?) Moses is tending his sheep in the wilderness, and he notices a bush that is on fire but not being consumed…
“What If” Thinking – Don’t Do It
It is the day before the US election in 2020, but I promise you that this post will be relevant beyond. If you want to practice mindfulness, one of the worst things you can do is engage in “what if” thinking. Right now, the airwaves are filled with the “what if” scenarios. Steve Kornacki, of …
The Journey You Did Not Choose
What a journey you and I are on right now. Together. We have had trips canceled, weddings postponed, jobs lost. We have had holidays and funerals over Zoom. We walk outside with masks. Not only have we removed events from our calendars, but we have also had to “shed” the skin we have had until …
Two Spiritual Approaches to COVID-19
Whoever you are, wherever you are, you are affected by the current pandemic of COVID-19 coronavirus. I want to offer a few spiritual approaches and insights that I hope are helpful or comforting, no matter your spiritual tradition. Whether you are worried about your elderly parents or your chronically ill child. Some of you live …
Gratitude Is A Practice
What if Thanksgiving was not just one day a year, but a day that reminds you to practice gratitude and giving thanks each and every day? Establishing a regular gratitude practice is the best way to build resilience and happiness. For some people, gratitude comes easily. But for many others, noticing the good is elusive …
Find Your Place
I remember one clear moment when I knew I had found “my place.” In my 4th year of rabbinic school I participated in a 5-day Jewish spirituality retreat.* We studied the Zohar’s interpretation of the Torah portion “Lech Lecha.” The Zohar, Judaism’s mystical interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, has a fascinating read on this text …
Hold Both Truth & Joy
This is the sermon I delivered on Rosh Hashanah at the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County in 2019. People asked to read it – so here it is: Rabbi Alan Lew, of blessed memory, writes that the High Holy Days season promises nothing less than total personal transformation – IF we do the work, and …
Love Yourself On The Way To Wholeness
High Holy Day Soul Work, Part 5 As Rosh Hashanah comes closer, our prayers become more urgent, because ready or not, the holy days are upon us. We reflect more deeply on our misdeeds of the past year, and where we have fallen short of being our best selves. Part of the powerful ritual we …
Do The Cosmic Turn: Teshuvah
High Holy Day Soul Work, Part 4 The cosmic principle of the entire High Holy Day season is teshuvah – to turn. Unfortunately, it is often translated as “repentance” which sounds severe and judgmental. However, teshuvah actually means “to turn, return, restore.” My teacher, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner writes of teshuvah: “All God ever says is …
What is Being Birthed From This Darkness?
There’s so much darkness and chaos right now. The environment is cloaked with it. I can see it in my newsfeed. I feel it on the roadways. In moments like this, I have to reach deep, to what I know to be true. Here it is: I know that light comes out of the darkness …