by Melanie Gruenwald As I watch the leaves shift from green to gold to crimson, I am reminded that change is the only constant. Each leaf that loosens its hold and drifts to the ground feels like a small teaching — a whisper that everything is in motion, that life Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald The concept of metaphor keeps showing up in my classes this month—and, also, in my own life. Metaphor is how I make sense of the things that can’t be explained directly. It’s how I teach, how I learn, how I sit with both joy and grief. When Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald I recently began practicing yoga. After class, I notice that my heart feels wide open. I leave the studio wanting to connect with people. On Sundays, I wander through the Farmers Market after my flow, eager to share not only my Palisade peaches but also my Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald This time of year is always full of beginnings and endings—beginning of the school year, job changes, the turning of seasons. But this year, change feels sharper, closer to the bone. My husband has taken a job in another state. My twins are beginning their senior year Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald This past weekend, I stepped away with my husband — not far geographically, but far enough to remember myself. We went to southwest Colorado- we enjoyed staying in a yurt, near hot springs with a view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Great Sand Dunes. Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald This week, I had a lot of big feelings. I don’t know if it’s related to the energy in the world related to the upcoming Torah portion (biblical narrative) of Moses striking the rock to draw water—when he was meant to speak to it instead—or the experience Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald This semester, I am a teaching a new class, Creative Journey through the Sefirot. This course is inspired by Rabbi Adina Allen’s non-profit organization, The Jewish Studio Project, and her book, The Place of All Possibility. It has been so enlightening to study the sefirot in Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald We are all storytellers. Once upon a time, I was born. From there, my journey has been shaped by growth, family, study, friendships, love, travel, career, children, loss, and more growth. There’s no “The End” yet—someday there will be. Until then, the narrative continues. We all live Read more
by Melanie Gruenwald Creativity is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It fuels our ability to express, to solve problems, and to bring something entirely new into the world. But where does it come from? Science looks to the brain for answers, while Kabbalah sees creativity as Read more
First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because Read more