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Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote about the power and beauty of Shabbat in his classic work The Sabbath. In it, he described Shabbat as a sanctuary of time, a place to experience holiness, and a place to feel at peace.
This Shabbat… that peace was shattered, once again, when four peopl…
Yogi Berra, considered by many to be one of the all-time great players and “characters” of the game (even if he was a Yankee), is attributed to have said, "It's like déjà vu, all over again."
I was thinking about this as I got up this morning and saw that the US COVID-19 hospitali…
When 2021 began I don’t think many of us thought or could have conceived of the idea that once the ball dropped in Times Square in 2022, we would find ourselves in the middle of another COVID-related surge. And yet, here we are. The good news is that at least this time, a significant major…
One of the many COVID lessons I continue to be fascinated about is how interconnected we are as a people… living here on this earth. It was during the Thanksgiving weekend that we first heard the term “Omicron.” Remember… it was discovered and reported that it was in the southern par…
As you may have read or seen in the last couple of days, there was an antisemitic incident that occurred in Pasadena on Sunday. Flyers blaming Jews for COVID, naming specific members of the CDC, US Department of Health and Human Services, and others, were circulated around Pasadena.
A…
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…
