Judaism has always been an important part of who I am. I have made it my life’s work to try and not only educate people about Judaism, but also make experiences possible in order for people to see, touch, taste, and feel the richness, beauty, and history of our religion and culture with ot…
I remember when the only way you received updates from family or friends was either by talking to them on the phone, getting together in person, or getting a letter with enclosed photos (developed at a store I might add). That all changed when social media came around. Instantly, people were…
I have often wondered if I would be able to handle the challenges people faced in the past and how would they handle today’s? It sometimes feels like, with all we have to deal with today, life must have been much simpler back then in comparison to today.
Things even felt simpler ten…
As I watched the wind swirl around and through Dodgers’ Stadium last night as my SF Giants were winning last night’s playoff game, I was reminded that fall, in fact, is here. Although there was a nip in the air yesterday and this morning, it appears the temperature will pick back up agai…
I was sad. This does not happen very often for me and it is probably not why you may think. It has nothing to do with what is going on in the country or the world. Don’t get me wrong… seeing the unwanted devastation and unnecessary sickness and illness definitely saddens me as it should.…
So… how is 5782 going for you thus far? I have enjoyed seeing pictures of families getting together to celebrate the holy days, including these last few days… gathering in sukkahs all across our community. And as Sukkot comes to an end, we are approaching Simchat Torah, our celebration o…
With Sukkot beginning tonight at sundown, I was struck last night about how this holiday is sort of “made” for the COVID world we are currently living in. (Stay with me for a moment and I think you will understand.)
The first of three harvest and pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish c…
Growing up, I used to love this time of year. In the Bay Area, as the temperature began to cool down a little, I remember distinctly feeling a sense of hope and renewal as the start of the school year came around after Labor Day and soccer season was just beginning. There were new experience…
I could really go for a nap right now.
When I was a child, one of the things I used to hate hearing my parents say was, “Okay Jason… it’s time for your nap.” Having two kids of my own, I know that I was not the only child who dreaded this. What is it about kids not enjoying a na…
You know that feeling… You are walking down the street or talking with a friend, and all of a sudden you feel like you have already done this before. You can’t quite remember if it was in a dream, or if you actually experienced it before. That feeling… that sense is commonly referred t…
Growing up, the phrase my parents used to say that I said I would never repeat is “Because I said so.” I used to hate it. Not only did I feel that there was no explanation behind it, but it felt so final… so definitive.
Fast forward thirty years and guess which phrase I find myself fo…
Close your eyes.
Picture a time when life was simple… carefree. People sitting outside on their porch, with a cold, refreshing glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade or maybe a glass of freshly brewed iced tea. A neighbor walks up to ask if they could borrow a cup of sugar, as another fam…
The anticipation, the excitement, the nervousness hits me all at once as I sit down and pull on the shoulder vest restraint. I have waited a long time for this moment and can hardly wait until the roller coaster pulls away from the loading area and we begin to climb.
Click, click, click…
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…
