It’s Time to Return
I have grown complacent, and I am not alone. For the first year of the pandemic, when attending worship services online, I made sure to be fully present as if…
Reclaiming Mikveh: It’s Not Just for Orthodox Anymore
Immersion: the total submersion of one’s body in a pool of water. Mikveh: the ritual bath created for this purpose. Immersing in the mikveh is the final step in the…
Honoring Your Parents, When It’s Not Easy
“I think of my parents as toddlers. I give them directed choices, both of which are acceptable to me. I only share the next thing on the schedule since they…
Wrapping Myself in My Judaism
Just over a year ago, I began setting my morning alarm for 15 minutes earlier than I had previously. I get mostly ready for the day, then clip my kippah to my head, wrap myself in tallit and tefillin, and daven Shacharit at home.
But Wait, There’s More: Between Passover and Rosh Hashanah
If you, like me, are the product of a synagogue Supplemental/Hebrew/Religious School for your Jewish education, then you may have missed a few holidays. As a synagogue education director, I…
Coming of Age, the Jewish Way
We all know what a bat/bar mitzvah is. A 12/13-year-old girl/boy leads the congregation in Shabbat services, chants from the Torah, chants a Haftarah, and gives a speech. The young adult is nervous: their voice cracks, they rarely look up, and there is a visible sigh of relief when it is over and they can go on to the party.