Bringing Light into the World
Ever since I was a child, this has always been one of my favorite times of the year. The weather typically turns colder, it gets dark earlier and we are in the midst of the holiday season. Each year in elementary school, my mom would come into my class to do a …
The Celebration of Lifelong Learning
It has always fascinated me as to how much Judaism values education. It is part of the fabric of not only the religious tradition but also deeply rooted in our culture. From an early age, children are encouraged to learn about our traditions, history, cu…
During this year’s High Holy Days, I had the opportunity to speak at three of our community’s congregations. In my opening remarks, I introduced the notion that we are currently in the midst of a monumental shift in how Judaism is practiced and how Jews engage with their Judaism as was i…
And just like that… the last candle of Hanukkah has been lit and went out. Was the holiday more festive this year? Did you get a chance to celebrate together with family and friends? Did you appreciate this year’s festivities, just a little bit more? Hold onto those memories, as well as …
I have a confession to make…. Hanukkah snuck up on me this year. This may surprise some of you because I do lead a Jewish organization. It was not like I was not aware of when it was. After all, our Jewish Federation has published and shared an 8-year calendar of Jewish holidays with the c…
In her 1996 book, It Takes a Village, Hillary Clinton made a well-known African proverb part of American society’s lexicon of often uttered idioms. While it is not exactly clear where in Africa this proverb comes from, the original words pertained to the idea that a child is raised by mor…
Growing up, like most kids, I was on soccer teams in the fall, baseball teams in the spring, and swim teams during the summer months. I loved playing and being part of a team. As I have gotten older, I have often reflected on the impact those experiences had on me becoming who I am today, an…
From as early as I could remember, I always wanted to be a dentist when I grew up. I have a feeling that this was because I was influenced by one of my favorite family members… my Uncle Eddie. While not technically my uncle, he was someone I looked up to, both literally and figuratively. I…
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…
