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Passover of the Future

This Passover, emerging from the narrowness of our quarantines, we are not quite liberated. The joy of getting vaccinated is tempered by the confusion of how we regain our pre-covid freedoms. Can I get together with friends? Can I walk slowly…

Jewish Studio Alfresco – The Survey Results

On Thursday we emailed a survey to hundreds of our supporters. We received over 100 responses in a mere 24 hours. You helped us to shape the future. We envision most adults having received a covid-19 vaccination by the end of summer. So what…

The Antidote to Plagues

There is a way to prevent future plagues. Just read the Torah. In the opening of parshat Ki Tiso we are told that the prescription to ward off plague is to support government.Having encamped at Sinai, the Israelites are commanded…

What to Wear After Covid

Some of us have spent the last 12 months at home, wearing black yoga pants. I go to my office each day and seeing nearly no one, I dress in business casual. I wore a suit once last year to attend a funeral. So I’ve been wondering, in a post-covid…

Our Capitol

The most beautiful city in the world is Washington, DC. 40 years after arriving here, I still thrill to see the monuments and, most especially, the dome of the Capitol building. It isn’t just the edifices that make this city beautiful. What…

My Children Don’t Call

The modern-day lament of aging parents is often, “My children don’t call and don’t visit.” While this package of emotional detritus comes wrapped with a bow of guilt, the lament may be misstated. Perhaps the better question is, what…

Aretha Said it Best

Parents just want to help.  At least that’s what we call sharing our opinion.  It’s an ancient habit and one that is risky, especially when talking to a son-in-law or daughter-in-law. The key to being heard? Respect. In Torah, after Moses…

The Magic of Unity

Going from subjugation to freedom is like watching a magic trick. We are both awed and baffled. Sometimes we feel blessed by what we have witnessed and sometimes we are perturbed by the spectacle. All the while, we are talking about the magician.…

Culture of Victimhood

We are suffering a culture of victimhood. Whether on a personal or communal level, the common ethic is to assume the moniker of victim. It begins with the claim that an injustice has been done and that the injustice must be acknowledged.  The…

We know from Pharaoh

Whatever hope we had for the future of America in 2021  took a hit with the January 6 attack on the Capital. Thoughts and prayers are not going to be enough; as if they ever were. But I still have faith in the power of us. In Torah this week,…