I hope that these first few days of 5783 have gone well for you as we lead into the start of Yom Kippur with Kol Nidre tomorrow night and the conclusion of Yamim Nora’im (Ten Days of Awe). I had a special treat on the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah as I had the chance to visit and speak during…
Like other religions and cultures, Judaism has taught the world many things. Do not put a stumbling block before the blind. The importance of rest and appreciating (and valuing) all of what was created. Love your neighbor as yourself… classic. Do unto others as you would have them do unto …
Webster’s dictionary defines partnership as “a legal relation existing between two or more persons contractually associated as joint principals in a business” and lists the following as synonyms: affiliation, collaboration, alliance, connection, and relationship.
I have been thinkin…
In my column last week, I discussed the Jewish tradition of using these few weeks leading up to the start of the High Holy Days to look back at how we lived, acted, carried ourselves, etc., since last year's High Holy Days. By doing this, we have the opportunity to return to our true selves …
I have always been amazed at our space program. The idea is that so many people work for years, even decades, to send something they have made into space. The anticipation must be exciting, exhilarating, nerve-wracking, anxiety-ridden, and many other emotions happening all at once as the cou…
As someone who constantly thinks about the safety and security of our community and stays informed of the current trends and issues that are impacting the Jewish world today; I was especially intrigued to learn last week that Dana Bash, CNN Anchor, and Chief Political Correspondent, had spen…
As I have previously shared in my weekly messages, a lot of my focus has been (and will continue to be) on security. And it has not surprised me to learn that my Jewish Federation colleagues are also spending more time than they ever imagined concentrating on ways to help keep their communit…
Last week I had the opportunity to get away with my family for a bi-annual trip. This time we were able to visit Hawaii… specifically Oahu. Yes… Hawaii is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. From the lush vegetation that hugs the exquisite mountain ranges, the array of various colors that al…
Comedy has always been something I have loved. My mom never could understand how anyone could laugh so hard while reading the Sunday comics. And still to this day I love listening or watching stand-up comedians. Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Steven Wright, Jim Gaffigan, Gabriel Iglesias, Bri…
As I have shared before… I love my job. Yes, it can be very challenging and at times it can be amazing. I love being able to help provide opportunities to not only engage and connect, but make lasting impact on the lives of our local Jewish community.
Let me explain what I mean.
…
Trends can be a powerful thing. They can motivate people to do things they might normally not do. Take for instance these following trends: parachute pants or bell-bottoms, SWATCH watches, Beanie Babies, Harry Potter, everything pumpkin flavored, Emojis, mood rings… the list could go on an…
I have never really had an “ear” for languages. When I was growing up, I began Hebrew School in 3rd grade and although we were being taught conversational Hebrew, I never really could get the hang of it. The same thing when I was in college and I took two semesters of Hebrew, but it neve…
Although Camp Gan Shalom began last week, due to my schedule I was not able to visit our summer youth program until yesterday. As I walked into camp, fond memories of how much fun it was to be a camper and the joy I felt as a camp director flooded back. The smiles and the look of sheer joy o…
Over the last number of years, as I sit down to write either my monthly From Where I Sit column for JLife SGPV or this weekly column, I work very hard in sharing my perspectives in a fair and balanced way. I have rarely dipped into politics. The reason for this is that as the Executive D…
I did it… and it felt great! And, I hope you will do it. What am I talking about? Voting. In case you have been under a rock or haven’t gone through your mail in the last several weeks, today, June 7 is Primary Election Day. While a lot of focus typically is placed each year on the first…
