Words That Inspire.
Voices To Guide.
Explore reflections, teachings, and community updates from The Jewish Studio. Whether you’re deepening your understanding of Jewish tradition or seeking guidance for everyday life, you’ll find something meaningful here.
Sign up to hear from us weekly
God Loves You – Now Change
Happy 2016. January is the time when we often make New Year’s resolutions about eating less, getting more exercise, reading more, decreasing stress, volunteering more, spending less, being more intentional, being less judgmental. And yet, if previous years are any indication, in a few weeks we will be slipping back into our old behaviors. Why…
January 10, 2016
I DO – do you?
As a lawyer, I have a particular way to read Torah. Let me share with you a line from this week's Torah portion and see if you hear it the same way I do. “God said: I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God.” It sounds like a…
January 3, 2016
Everything Old is New Again
It's that time again – retrospectives on the secular year now ending, Top 10 lists, New Years resolutions, new calendars, the Baby New Year myth become childhood cartoon, renewed diets and gym routines perhaps soon forgotten, the Rose Bowl parade, maybe a hangover or two. Among the social values of New Years is a sense of renewal…
December 27, 2015
Repairing Relationships When a Parent Dies
Reconciliation within families is not always easy and yet the death of a parent often provides the opportunity to do the hard work of putting the past in the past and creating a new relationship for the future. Vayechi, the final parsha in the book of B’reishit, closes the narrative on our ancestors. Just as…
December 21, 2015
Going Down, Down, Down
Now is the season of our depression. This is true both of the wintertime blues and of the corresponding Torah reading when Joseph’s family goes down to Egypt. Literally, the Torah refers to travel to Egypt as going down. As we equate depression with feeling down, there is a link between the descent of the…
December 12, 2015
Becoming the Light
"Hope springs eternal," wrote essayist Alexander Pope. This sentiment forms the spiritual core of Chanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, and (not coincidentally) also this week's Torah portion, Miketz. Hope, by its nature, transcends perceived reality however bleak. Hope is what remains when the night seems most dark, when the chips seem most down, when the deck seems…
December 5, 2015
Left Behind
Refugees around the globe are not just a hot political topic but a moral challenge to us all. Today’s headlines represent a historic constant about the nature of those who observe such tragedies. In every prior generation, there were concerned bystanders who could have been rescuers but efforts were often too little or too late.…
November 28, 2015
Thankful for Family
This is the time of year that people either look forward to or dread seeing their families with Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas in the holiday line-up for the next month. In my family, we joke that “family” is the other “f” word. If you ask adults and children for what are they thankful, many will…
November 22, 2015
Every Rock: The Art of Awe
Every Jewish house of worship echoes the iconic scene in this week’s Torah portion (Vayetze). Jacob takes a rock and places it under his head for a pillow. He dreams of a ladder rising from there to heaven, with angels ascending and descending along it. Jacob wakes with awe and calls the spot Beth El,…
November 16, 2015
Stay Connected to the Conversation
Get the latest reflections, teachings, and resources delivered to your inbox. Sign up to receive occasional updates and meaningful reads from our team.
Two Ways to Begin—Your Journey, Your Pace
Step Into Something Meaningful
Whether you’re planning a milestone or seeking connection through community, The Jewish Studio is here to meet you where you are. Start with a celebration, a gathering, or simply a step forward.