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High Holiday Poetry Slam
Have you been to a poetry slam? It’s a form of poetry competition. The poets present their works in a struggle for dominance. One doesn’t naturally associate poetry with a sport. Drop any notion of poetry as a lovely art form. The poems presented are often confrontational and clever. There is no chance Elizabeth Barrett…
September 15, 2015
Jewish Mindfulness
I have a friend who makes the most delicious challah. Every week she creates beautiful sweet challah that is the edible definition of "hiddur mitzvah', enhancing a mitzvah. Every week she made challah for her family and our Torah study group. One week the challah tasted just a bit different, it was almost the same…
September 6, 2015
The Words We Pray
It's just like Passover in September (not Christmas in July), but with a High Holy Day spiritual message about gratitude and the means of spiritual growth. This week's Torah portion (Ki Tavo) features the Passover Haggadah's re-telling of the journey from bondage to liberation: "My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt…
August 30, 2015
The fringes of your life
I recall in the 1960s when fringes were all the fashion. In their essence, fringes are threads that move loosely. Whether an adornment for beaded moccasins or brocade draperies, the imperfect fringes were understood to enhance beauty. Fringes are a contrast to the smoothness of the adorned material. It seems that imperfection can be used to enhance…
August 23, 2015
The Mirror’s Reflection
This is the beginning of the month of Elul, the month that precedes the holiday-packed month of Tishrei. It is now that we begin sounding the shofar daily, signaling that it is the time to prepare for the transformation we hope to make in the coming year. First we must look into our spiritual mirror…
August 17, 2015
What might God see?
This week’s Torah portion (Re’eh, "See!") recaps key aspects of Jewish tradition – monotheism, freedom, holidays and dietary laws. Perhaps its most important line, however, is a deceptively simple call: “After YHVH your God you will walk" (Deut. 13:5). What might it mean in our day to "walk in God's ways"? It seems straightforward to follow something physical: the Book of Exodus ends with…
August 9, 2015
What Bible are you reading?
Were the Bible written today, it might include wisdom on start-up businesses, communitarian governance, positive psychology and organizational skills. At least those are the "bibles" I notice people reading around me nowadays. To the modern purveyors of how-to business literature, success often means not only financial reward but also position in the industry, innovating for the future and…
August 2, 2015
Breaking Bad and Getting Good
Is the key to a good life found in following the rules? For example, consider the rules of suburbia: study hard in good schools, work hard at our professions, care for our bodies and obey the laws. We assure ourselves that if we live by these rules, we are likely to succeed. Some of us have suffered the consequence…
July 27, 2015
See What is Before You
See the path of your life. Really see it. What do you see? Do you like what you see? If not, what readiness do you need to change it? This week's Torah portion (Dvarim) heralds the approach of Tisha b'Av, commemorating the destruction of the Temple and countless other tragedies in Jewish history. It also heralds Shabbat…
July 19, 2015
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