The Chai Mitzvah Blog

Zooming in and Out

Posted on June 23, 2025

By Audrey Lichter I have spent most of the last 2 months 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island on Block Island. This island community boasts over 20,000 people during the summer and fewer than 1,200 over the late fall through the winter and into the early spring. Over 5 ferries stream into the Continue Reading »

We Are 10XSTRONGER!

Posted on June 16, 2025

By Nina Fondiller Woldin It was Thursday night, and we were just wrapping up a wonderful 10XSTRONGER virtual class. The group included both familiar faces and new members, and we were sharing our experiences of what it means to be recognized as Jews today. Some individuals wore Jewish symbols openly, while others discreetly placed the Continue Reading »

There are No One Way Streets

Posted on June 9, 2025

by Rabbi Deb Smith This past week, I had the pleasure of attending a Jewish Journaling Group for the first time. The group is sponsored by The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, New Jersey.  This is a wonderful museum that I toured last summer. It features exhibits, photos, and memorabilia from throughout Jewish history Continue Reading »

Recipe for a Meaningful Shavuot

Posted on June 1, 2025

by Michalee Merritt Shavuot means “weeks” in Hebrew and marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. It also commemorates the date when G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. What do we do on Shavuot? We have all-night study sessions. (Chai Mitzvah has some great materials for you) Chai Continue Reading »

The Trap of Binary Thinking

Posted on May 23, 2025

by Audrey Lichter Let me say at the outset, I am not a fan of moral ambivalence. I do believe that there are certain fundamental truths that we should aspire to. Lately, though, I’ve been struck by how little appetite we have for nuance and complexity. We say, for example, that religion teaches love and Continue Reading »

Love and Hate on Mother’s Day

Posted on May 19, 2025

by Nina Fondiller Woldin The Sunday before last was Mother’s Day, and we spent it with our kids in Hoboken – eldest daughter, son-in-law, and two wonderful grandsons, aged 9 and 5. We spent the day at an Israel Fair featuring rides, activities, delicious falafel, and even Druze delicacies. Imagine this… we are standing at Continue Reading »

Honoring the Mothers in Our Lives

Posted on May 12, 2025

by Rabbi Debra Smith Our most recent Chai Mitzvah Mussar class explored the topic of gratitude, specifically hakarat ha-tov (recognizing the good). We discussed ways that we can remember the good things that people have done for us throughout our lives and how we can honor that tradition by giving back to others, even the Continue Reading »

Every May is Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted on May 5, 2025

by Michalee Merritt JAHM (Jewish American Heritage Month) is a national celebration of nearly four centuries of Jewish American history, heritage, and culture. JAHM provides an opportunity to lift up the powerful, joyful, and true stories of Jewish life in America. There are so many ways that you can explore Jewish American history. Join Chai Continue Reading »

Scott Shay – Ahead of His Time

Posted on April 28, 2025

by Audrey Lichter I’d like to reflect for the moment on a very special person… special to me personally and to Chai Mitzvah. Scott Shay is our founder and Board President. Along with a distinguished business career, he is a prolific and profound thinker and writer. The author of 3 books, each ahead of its Continue Reading »

My Day Seven Experience

Posted on April 21, 2025

by Nina Fondiller Woldin Today is Day 8 of the Omer. If you began the 10XSTRONGER 10-Day Challenge on Day 1, you would have done Day 7 yesterday. The 10XSTRONGER 10-Day challenge is flexible. You don’t have to begin it on any specific day, and you don’t even have to do it on consecutive days Continue Reading »

Categories

Archives