Over the last two weeks, many of our community’s youth have returned to school. And with this, there is a renewed sense of optimism, hope, and excitement for what the year ahead has in store. And this is not just for the students, but for their parents as well.
While I feel comfortabl…
This past weekend, my family and I were in Birmingham to see my oldest daughter in a play at Red Mountain Theater, Birmingham's regional theater. For the past three years, as she has been studying at Univ. of Alabama-Birmingham, we have gotten to know the city A LOT and have our "favorites" …
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to give a talk to a small group of former presidents and CEOs about the current climate in the Jewish community finds itself today as it pertains to antisemitism and the rise of anti-Israel sentiment around the world since October 7.
During the talk, I h…
"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition...
This is 'ABC's Wide World of Sports!'"
These words opened ABC's Wide World of Sports almost every Saturday afternoon from …
As a child, I remember learning, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." This children's rhyme was often used as a way to explain that somebody's thoughts and words are not hurtful. However, as we have witnessed once again, words and rhetoric can not only be hurt…
Several years ago, before it was common for people to "cut the cord" and get rid of cable or satellite TV, my wife decided that as a way to save money, we should get a streaming box. It wasn't that we were opposed to TV; it was that we were finding ourselves not watching it as often as the c…
Sunday turned out to be a hectic day in the Jewish world. Who could've possibly imagined that as we were in the midst of our Jewish Federation's 30th Anniversary Celebration brunch, honoring our organization's presidents, an event would unfold a mere 20 miles away, and we would become an int…
I'm starting to get "that" feeling that I've had throughout my life whenever I get excited about an upcoming "thing." Know what I'm talking about - that anxious and excited feeling when something you have been looking forward to for a long time is almost here? Whether it is taking that tri…
Over the last several months, as the hatred towards Israel has continued to be exhibited through the ongoing protests, local cities adopting resolutions, and then, of course, the challenges that universities have faced with the growing pro-Palestinian protests, tent encampments, etc., many i…
With the events that have been transpiring in Israel and Gaza recently, a conversation I had with the Consult General of Israel has flooded my mind. Last April, I was interviewing then Consul General Hillel Newman for an upcoming JLife SGPV article. During our conversation, I asked him why i…
I love our tradition, especially the knowledge we can turn to as a guide of how we should love our lives. One of my favorite teachings in all of Judaism comes from Pirkei Avot, a collection of sayings/teachings from the great Rabbis. This particular one is attributed to Rabbi Tarfon - Lo al…
So often, we get tired of the mundane… the routine… the things that we determine are boring because they happen the same way all the time. And yet, when things “break” from the ordinary and it is unclear how this “new” situation will play out, we get nervous and are unsure how to…
Like so many people, I have been astonished by not only the sheer number of people who are supporting the Palestinian cause following October 7 but also how they have chosen to express their support.
In just over seven months, shortly after the IDF retaliated following Hamas' October 7 …
When I was 16, I went to Israel on a six-week trip with 44 other teens from the San Francisco Bay area. It was my first visit to Israel, and the experience impacted me tremendously. It was not until I returned from the trip that I truly understood how my life had changed. You see, the day we…
Last week, I spoke with a student from Azusa Pacific University who had questions she needed answers to for an assignment on Judaism. During our conversation, she asked if I had ever personally experienced antisemitism and what that was like for me. I shared with her that I had been spit at …
