by Nina Fondiller Woldin My birthday is on December 30th, the day before New Year’s Eve, which gives me twice as many reasons as most people to reflect on the past year and to try to prepare for what might be coming in the year ahead. It feels as if my personal passage intertwines with Continue Reading »
by Nina Fondiller Woldin Yesterday marked the winter solstice; the sun set at 4:30. We have been noting the winter solstice since ancient times, so I did what we have been doing since time began – put on my PJs and drank hot chocolate. In the Talmud, the winter solstice marks Tekufat Tevet, the start Continue Reading »
by Audrey Lichter This weekend I saw the Nuremberg film with Russel Crowe as Hermann Göring (the second in command of the Nazi regime) and Rami Malek as Douglas Kelley, the psychiatrist asked to make sure the high-ranking convicted Nazi leadership imprisoned would be fit to stand trial. The performances were magnificent… but what really Continue Reading »
by Jennifer Saber “Oh, super,” I said sarcastically under my breath accompanied by a deep sigh. I was on an international overnight flight across the Atlantic and I was settling in for a choppy night’s sleep at best. Nine hours and change squashed in a chair in Basic Economy. My best fighting chance was a Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Debra Smith I am blessed to participate in an ongoing weekly Jewish journaling class offered by The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, NJ. The prompt that we received in my class last week was to write about our favorite Jewish word. How does one choose their favorite word in any language? It Continue Reading »
by Nina Fondiller Woldin Yesterday, I attended the Congregational School Conference hosted by Jewish Educational Services (JES) of Baltimore, Maryland. The theme was kindness. Can you imagine, in the current climate of antisemitism, where people in politics and social media are anything but kind, making this the theme? The conference was a powerful reminder that Continue Reading »
by Michalee Merritt Chayei Sarah was this Shabbat’s parsha. This is one of my favorites because both of my sons read this for their Bar Mitzvahs. In this week’s Torah portion, Avraham sends his loyal servant, Eliezer, to find a suitable bride for his son, Yitzchak. As Eliezer approaches the town, he prays to God Continue Reading »
This blog came from Rabbi Tuvia Brander, who quotes a friend of his, Ari Goldberg. I thought it was well written and makes a great point of why we seem to be talking over each other. -Audrey Lichter “Reflecting on recent events — I am struck by the sharp analysis of an old friend, Ari Continue Reading »
We will be reading parshat Vayera soon, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seems appropriate to think about hospitality. As you might remember, this parsha is about Abraham and Sarah welcoming the three angels. It’s also about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. I recently learned something new pertaining to Lot which seems Continue Reading »
by Rabbi Debra Smith Thinking back on this year’s High Holy Days and thinking ahead to my most favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, has provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the role of community in my life. Judaism teaches us the importance of being part of a community, of welcoming newcomers into community, and also Continue Reading »
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