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Inclusive Judaism: We are all God’s disabled

Last week, I attended a conference focused on building a more inclusive and welcoming Judaism. One session, in particular, stood out — finding the source for a “Torah of Safety, Respect and Equity.” The idea feels inherently Jewish: that…

Purge the Shrine

“Purge the holy place from impurity.” - Leviticus 16:16 Arriving in New York, my grandparents and great-grandparents discovered a new holiness.  American idealism supplanted Shtetl Judaism. The Mezuzah at the doorpost was the Statue of…

Democracy’s Disease: When Faith in Authority Falters

Lately, everything I read is colored by a deepening concern for the state of our democracy. Even sacred texts, once sources of comfort and moral grounding, now provoke doubt. This week, as I studied Tazria—the Torah portion detailing the diagnosis…

President Profane

“This is a law for all time throughout the ages for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the impure and the pure” Leviticus 10: 9 - 10 In the early 19th century, two very different lives crossed paths as…

Moving Forward

"What’s the difference between depression and anxiety?" my friend asked over lunch. Depression keeps you fixated on the past. Anxiety traps you in fear about the future. Either way, many are either depressed or anxious about the state of the…

Getting Rid of Schmutz

I have begun cleaning the house in preparation for Passover. My grandmother might have said we were getting rid of the schmutz. This year, the process is cathartic. It's more than Marie Kondo getting rid of clutter. I am relinquishing impurities…

Realize Their Guilt

It shall be that when he [realizes his] sin and incurs guilt. וְהָיָה֮ כִּֽי־יֶחֱטָ֣א וְאָשֵׁם֒ וְהֵשִׁ֨יב אֶת־הַגְּזֵלָ֜ה We have leaders who are acting abhorrently. Yet, they think…

Respecting Workers

יַּ֨רְא מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם מֹשֶֽׁה׃ And…

The Power of Repetition

"I heard you the first time," I might have said to family members who repeated instructions to me. Repetition can be both helpful and off-putting. Because the Torah is filled with repetition, especially in this week's reading Vayakhel, I wondered…

The Wrong Leader

וַיַּ֣רְא הָעָ֔ם כִּֽי־בֹשֵׁ֥שׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָרֶ֣דֶת מִן־הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקָּהֵ֨ל הָעָ֜ם עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down…