Before Kindergarten
I started the blog this week with the following thought: Two year old Eva (Sanders) has come up with some wonderful sayings on her quest to learn the English language. When I typed the word learn I stopped. How does a child learn English or any language? We typically think about learning as a conscious […]
The Yin and Yang of Grief
According to legend, the panda was once an all-white bear. When a small girl tried to save a panda cub from being attacked by a leopard, the leopard killed the girl instead. Pandas came to her funeral wearing armbands of black ashes. As they wiped their eyes, hugged each other, and covered their ears, they […]
Portrait of Jewish America
Alarm bells sounded earlier this month with the release of the findings from a major Pew Foundation survey of American Jews. A Portrait of Jewish Americans is the first national study in 13 years assessing a host of demographic data on religious identity, beliefs, practices and attitudes, rates of intermarriage and affiliation of Jews […]
Weaving Trust
It may be exactly 10 years. I don’t recall the exact date but it was a Thursday in October 2003 that five men gathered at 7:30 a.m. to start learning Kabbalah together. What could be more traditional than five men, each of us well over 40 years old, gathering early in the morning trying to […]
The Promise is Now
Does death free of us our vows? Do our vows free us from death? Entering the solemnity of the day on this past Yom Kippur eve, Both Sides Now author Nancy Sharp transported us to the hospice bed of her beloved, departed husband. We cried as we shared her grief becoming present to our […]
After all is said and done
After all is said and done (the final shofar blast) ending Yom Kippur there is still the evening prayers to be recited. It is not a long service but after fasting for 25 hours it is a testament to one’s staying power to not bolt and head for food and drink. Could it be that […]
Rushing down your future
Rushing down your future Washing away your past Washing away your memories You’re rushing down too fast You’re washing away your hopes and dreams You’re washing away everything You’re rushing down river faster than it flows You’re rushing down the ocean You’re rushing down, you’re rushing down, you’re rushing down Too Fast This poem, […]
Tis the Forgiveness Season
I need to apologize in advance. I have not read the book that I am about to comment on—I just glanced at the table of contents. I should not, of course, judge a book by its table of contents—hence the apology. My thought process that led me to this book was as follows: If […]
Compromise without Concession
In English, compromise is defined as two parties that come to agreement by making concessions. The key word is concession. The Hebrew word for compromise is Pesher (Peh-Shin-Reish). When we compare this Hebrew root word with other similar roots the connotation is to create a connection. A bridge in Hebrew is Gesher (Gimmel-Shin-Reish) and a […]
Bowing to Memory
There is a story about a young boy in Denver who, this past year, fell from his skateboard and banged his head so severely that he became amnestic for a period of months. He did not recognize any of his family members. One day during prayers in synagogue he bowed down at the customary […]