Last July, when I was thinking about how things would be a year from then, I never figured I would still be checking the number of people infected with COVID like I have been these last several weeks. Plus, several months ago, when the vaccine was available, I assumed, along with many of you…
For the last several months, I have felt like each time we take two or three steps forward with COVID, every so often we had to take a step back. With the news at the end of last week that LA County’s Department of Public Health was going to reinstitute the mask mandate for everyone, no ma…
For the last several weeks I have really enjoyed being able to walk into a store, a restaurant… really anywhere without wearing a mask. I still do keep one handy, including every so often making sure I have one in my pocket. But, it has been really nice not having to put one on, especially…
We just celebrated one of my favorite holidays of the entire year this past Sunday. July 4th… the day we celebrate our nation’s independence and the establishment of the United States of America. I love the pageantry, the red, white and blue regalia, the unified celebration of our freedo…
Over the last couple of weeks, as life has slowly gotten back to some sense of normalcy, I have found myself beginning to forget what life was like just a few months ago. You remember, don’t you… having to wait in line to get into the grocery store because they were only able to accommod…
You know those moments you look forward to, have built up in your mind, and are not quite sure how you will feel when they actually occur? Will you experience elation? Trepidation? Or will it feel more like a letdown because the expectation or hype did not live up to the moment? This is sort…
You know those commercials that just stick with you and you still remember them to this day, even though you first saw them over 20 years ago. Commercials like Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?”, Got Milk’s “Aaron Burr”, or Tootsie Pop’s “How many licks does it take to get to the …
Engaging the Jewish Community in New Ways
In 1996, shortly after I graduated college, I was hired to be the University of Virginia Hillel’s new Program Director. I was excited and nervous about the opportunity to work with college students who were not that much younger than I was at the …
If you are like me, you are counting down the days until next Tuesday, June 15. This is the day that it is assumed that Governor Newsom will lift most of the COVID-related restrictions. While I am very excited about this and would normally be inclined to write about it, I feel I need to shar…
For the past several years, I have used the week leading up to my birthday to reflect on the past year… what has gone well, what I had wished had happened differently, and what I hope for in the coming year. I consider it my personal inventory. I do this for several reasons, but mainly bec…
Israel is unlike any other country in the entire world. Roughly the same square mileage as New Jersey, and home to the SECOND largest Jewish population, it elicits deep emotional ties, not only for Jews but also Christians and Muslims as well. And as we have just witnessed the past couple of…
What a week it has been. Israel continued to defend itself from Hamas rocket fire, CDC lifted the mask mandate for fully vaccinated people (even though Governor Newsom later came out and said that California’s mandate would not be removed until June 15), vaccines began for 12-15-year-olds,…
Vaccinations are bringing a new excitement.
For a variety of different reasons, the month of May has always held a special place for me. It may be because my brother’s birthday is in May, as is my brother-in-law’s, and also my anniversary. Plus, my wife’s and my birthday are at the …
What Does it Mean to be Jewish?
inclusivity /ˌinklo͞oˈsivədē/ def: the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those having physical or mental disabilities or belonging to other mino…
I love being Jewish. I always have. It has always been an important part of who I am and continues to shape the person I am today.
Growing up, I was one of those “weird kids” who enjoyed going to Sunday School and Hebrew School. I loved the opportunity to gain a deeper meaning and u…
