September 22, 2023 Shana tova! It was wonderful to be together with so many of you over Rosh Hashanah. There was a palpable joy in the air! I hope that each of you found a point of connection with some piece of prayer, ritual, or melody. One of the great blessings of the High …
September 1, 2023 Labor Day, for most of us, means the last days of summer, one more chance for a day at the beach or wherever your happy place might be before school, work, and “real life” take hold. But the origins of Labor Day can be traced to the organizing of 19th century labor activists, …
August 25, 2023 While the start of Elul marked the end of the “dog days of summer”, there’s still time left to celebrate National Dog Month – the whole month of August! – and International Dog Day – August 26th! Our pets, and our dogs in particular, were always, and remain today, a defining …
August 18, 2023 Chodesh tov! (A good new month!) The new month of Elul begins today, which means we are exactly one month from the beginning of the new year of 5784. A new month which brings us to a new year is a rich opportunity for contemplation, reflection, the excitement and perhaps the …
August 11, 2023 This Shabbat is a time of turning and transition, as it is the Shabbat preceding the new month of Elul. Elul, the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, is meant to be a time of deep self-reflection as we move toward the new year. In a noisy world, with so much demanding our attention …
August 4, 2023 I write to you this week from Aspen, Colorado, where I am visiting dear friends and having my first experience of the incredible Rocky Mountain landscape. I’ve included a few of my photographs from the trip here, including two taken on a train from Denver to Glenwood Springs, CO. This trip …
July 28, 2023 From Wednesday evening until last night after 9pm, Jews around the world read Eicha, the Book of Lamentations and observed the fast of Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av. This day commemorates the destruction of both the First and Second Temples in ancient Jerusalem, and is the date to which is …
July 21, 2023 As we enter into Shabbat this week, I am reflecting on the themes of Tisha b’Av, which falls next week on Wednesday evening through Thursday. Because this day is one of mourning the destruction of the ancient temple in Jerusalem, I am particularly thinking about my recent experience living and learning in …
July 14, 2023 Summertime in the Western imagination is characterized by #positivevibes: cook-outs, lounging by the pool or on the beach, free time to travel and have new adventures! But summertime sadness (in addition to the 2012 Lana Del Rey hit) is a real thing. Not only is there a less-common iteration of Seasonal Affective Disorder …
