Chanukah begins in the darkest month of the year. We light the menorah (hanukkiah) for eight nights but we begin with just one. Each night, we increase the light by adding one new candle. Chanukah means “rededication.” Tonight, we dedicate our lighting to those in our lives who have made a difference or are making …
When everything falls apart, you learn what you are made of by how you respond. Yes, first you mourn and cry out in pain and despair. And then, when you find that you have endured, perhaps the worst you could have imagined, you have choices to make. How do you hold what has happened and …
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 …
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 …
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 …
High Holy Day Soul-Work, Part 2 The overarching theme of the High Holy Days is acknowledging brokenness and seeking wholeness. In last week’s blog post, I wrote about how essential it is for each of us to “do our own soul work” during the month of Elul, the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah. Several core …
High Holy Day Soul-Work We have the entire month of Elul (which precedes the Jewish High Holy Days) to do the essential soul reflection necessary to make this time meaningful. When we take this month seriously, a transformation of our very selves is possible. The fundamental journey at this time of year is one from …
In the waning days of summer, when you want to hang on to every last moment, there is another fragrance that begins to enter your consciousness. The wafts of the High Holy Day season reach you at your outer edges. In the middle of planning one last summer excursion, you may remember that you have …
I wrote this prayer after the massacre of Jews at prayer at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. A gunman, stoked by the anti-immigrant rhetoric and desiring to do harm to the synagogue which was connected to Jewish efforts to support immigrants and asylum seekers, stormed into the synagogue on Shabbat, spraying bullets everywhere. …
I like my latkes thin, crispy and traditional (read: russet potatoes.) This is my winner recipe that I’ve been using for years. I deem it “excellent” as you can see by my photo.
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