Why Shouldn’t This Night Be Different From All Other Nights?
I learned that the four questions are optional. They were meant to be an if-all-else-fails to get the children’s attention, then break glass (so to speak) and use this emergency device. Yet not one of us could imagine a Seder … Continue reading
Welcome Home, Kind Of
To: Jews by Choice From: Israel Subject: Welcome Home, Kind Of On Monday, March 1, per the Times of Israel (3/1/21): the Israeli Supreme Court voted to allow for Conservative and Reform conversions to be accepted regarding the Law of … Continue reading
Where Did Schmoozing Go?
We used to schmooze. And we were good at it. Perhaps even experts. As much as many of us see one another via Zoom, we don’t schmooze before or after a class or service, while standing at the oneg table, … Continue reading
The Proof is in the Pudding
Do you like pudding? And when you think of pudding, do you think more of bread pudding or of the gelatinous dessert that goes well with whipped cream or in a pie? I never ate much pudding. But when I … Continue reading
Words Count
Mask. Pandemic. Synchronous. Asynchronous. Insurrection. Fake news. Suppression. Zoom. Tweet. Uprising. This is just a portion of the new vocabulary that swirls around us in print, on our devices, through the news and in conversation 24/7. These are words that … Continue reading
The Passage of Time
As we celebrate the new year and get accustomed to writing “2021” on letters and checks, we realize that while the clocks and calendars move forward, time as we know it has changed. For many of us, we cannot remember … Continue reading
The Stamp of Invisibility
I love going to the post office and go often. In fact, over the past few months, mailing packages to our kids and mothers has brought me out of the house more than any other activity. I was at the … Continue reading
Chanukah Gifts
Antiochus Epiphanes was different from the others. The 2nd century BCE Syrian Greek ruler did not want to exterminate the Jews, he wanted to exterminate Judaism. His method of choice was to ban Torah study, Brit Milah (circumcision), Shabbat and … Continue reading
Building My Cabinet
As President-Elect Biden forms his cabinet, it got me thinking. Who would be in my cabinet? What would their positions be–would I create a new cabinet position?–and who would fill them? Would those people be insiders with experience and already-formed … Continue reading
“I” Statements
Our post-election Town Hall on Sunday, November 8 included a conversation about shared values: Who wouldn’t want good schools? Who wouldn’t want good health care or clean air and water? Who wouldn’t want safe neighborhoods and good jobs? Given the … Continue reading