As I write this week's column, I am streaming Radio Hanukkah on my computer from SiriusXM (Channel 638). I have been listening as I usually do each year, off and on since it began. I love that during Hanukkah, people can listen to Hanukkah and Jewish songs (on the radio), especially at this …
I have a confession to make. Hanukkah snuck up on me this year. Whether it is because my attention has been focused on other things lately or that as I have gotten older, this holiday doesn’t hold the same meaning as it once did, it was not until after I got back from my family’s Thanksg…
I absolutely love that society has "adopted" special days to celebrate certain things during the year. I mean days like International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19), National Coffee Day (September 29), National Hamburger Day (May 28), and my personal favorite… National Doughnut Day …
One day, my oldest daughter shared with me that she had finally figured out what I did for a living. When I asked, she said, "You schmooze." I thought about it for a while and realized she was right. Not in a negative way but more so the fact that I enjoy talking to people. Earlier this morn…
Last night, I talked with a friend I had not spoken with in a while. After catching up about the family and what everyone has been up to. Inevitably, he asked me how I was doing, which, as many people are currently feeling, is a loaded question, especially following October 7. I shared some …
It is hard to believe that ONLY two and a half weeks ago, our world was turned upside down following the brutal attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians. As the days have passed and our eyes have been glued to all of the news coverage, social media posts, and the like, many in our community are …
With each passing day, more and more stories and reports are coming out of Israel. And it is hard to feel like we need to get as much information as possible, while at the same time not feeling like it is consuming our every moment or that we are feeling overwhelmed. These feelings are norma…
There are moments in my life where I have been left speechless. You know that feeling… when you either don’t feel you have the right words to say or that there are so many thoughts swirling in your head that you just don’t know how to begin? I suspect many of us have experienced that f…
In his 1963 book Strength to Love, a seminal collection of sermons, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared the following message – “Returning hate for hate multiples hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.…
As I sat in services for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, I was reminded of how incredible the High Holy Days are. It is not because, as our Machzor says, “The days are awesome and full of dread.” It is more about the fact that there is no other time of the Jewish year that people feel more Jew…
Shana Tova, and I hope that 5784 is already off to an incredible start.
Throughout the year, I schedule meetings with our local county and state elected officials to update them on the work our Jewish Federation is doing and learn how we can support and share what they are doing with ou…
Adults, especially those of us who are parents, have many…many responsibilities. This is why people often say that "adulting" is no joke. It takes smarts, charisma, a good attitude, a solid work ethic, strong commitment, and determination. As a parent, this goes even further when you bring…
The first time I traveled to Israel was when I was 16, and I spent six weeks touring the country with 45 other teens from the San Francisco Bay Area. Before that trip, the only connection I felt to the country was through the education I received from Religious School. In fact, I was the fir…
I have a confession, and now is the perfect time to share it. I am a sleepaway camper drop-out. Growing up, I was afraid to do sleepovers at other people’s homes because I got homesick. So my only sleepaway experience was a one-week session at Camp Swig when I was an entering 4th grader. I…
Below is the most recent Op-ed I have written to update the community on the Jewish Federation’s effort to combat antisemitism locally. I encourage everyone to pay close attention to the cities that have responded to our request and if you do not see your city listed, PLEASE contact them a…
