On Erev Yom Kippur, my rabbi, Eli Cohen, gave a moving sermon about Psalm 23. This psalm is most often read after someone dies, so for most of us it bears a negative connotation. Yet, it is meant to offer us consolation during difficult times in general, not just when someone has passed on. If […]
Finding Consolation in a New Translation of Psalm 23 Read More »
For Jews, fall always arrives with the High Holidays—sometimes early in September, like this year, sometimes as late as mid October. For most other people it comes with the autumn equinox. This year, they came at the same time. Interestingly enough, this year’s autumn equinox corresponded with the beginning of Sukkot, the fall harvest festival.
What Happens When the Harvest Moon, Sukkot and Autumn Equinox Fall on the Same Day? Read More »
As I prepare dinner for Erev Yom Kippur’s meal and think about going to services tonight, I remember the liturgy of the High Holy Days and of the Day of Repentance. I always feel I have death sitting on one shoulder and life sitting on the other. What will this year bring for my family
Death on One Shoulder, Life on the Other Read More »
My Jewish renewal community has a traditional of doing group aliyot. In other words, instead of calling up one person to say the blessing before and after the Torah reading, they create a theme around the parshah, the Torah portion being read, and call up anyone that feels drawn to that theme to say the
God Noticed Me on Rosh Hashanah Read More »
Last year I ran a series of 10 posts during the High Holy Days to help people with the t’shuvah process, the process of returning to their best selves. I have compiled those posts into an ebook called 10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self, A T’Shuvah Guide, that is now
10 Days and 10 Ways to Return to Your Best Self: A T'Shuvah Guide Read More »
From the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, until the end of Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentence, Jews have 10 days to return or turn back–t’shuvah–to their best selves. How do you do this? Here’s an excerpt from my workbook, Get Ready, Aim, Shoot, and Hit Your Bull’s Eye This Year that
Improving Your Aim and Setting New Targets Read More »
Last year during the Jewish Days of Awe, or High Holy Days, which extend over the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, to Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance, I wrote a series of 10 blog posts that discussed different ways to use each day for introspection. I’d like to simply call
How to Observe the Days of Awe or High Holy Days Read More »
This evening begins the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Jews all over the world will go to synagogue and pray, beginning the yearly cycle of teshuvah, or return. Return to what? To God and to our best selves. We review our lives and behavior over the last year and we make amends with God, with
Getting Prayers Answered on Rosh Hashanah Read More »
Part of the midlife experience for many mothers involves releasing children when they go off to college. Sometimes this means just moving them into a dorm across town. Other times it means taking them off to college across state or several states away. And still other times it involves leaving them at universities all the
Leaving a Child at College and Winning at Life Read More »
I didn’t mind when my children went off to school. I was happy for the free time, time for myself to do the things I wanted to do. I missed my children when they went off to camp, even shed a brief tear, but always felt happy for them and for myself. They would have
Letting a Child Leave the Nest Read More »
Over the last two weeks I’ve spent a lot of time with my daughter preparing her for college and helping her deal with leaving behind a boyfriend she cares about deeply. These two teens maturely choose to end the relationship to allow each other freedom while they live on opposite coasts and experience life in
Lessons Learned from Children's Lives Read More »
Be not like a fly seeking sore spots. Cover up your neighbor’s flaws, and reveal them not to the world. This saying, which comes from a traditional Jewish ethical text, always conjures up somewhat nasty images in my head of wounds covered with flies. Yet, it’s a potent image–and effective. I try to remember this
Prevent Yourself from Focusing or Talking About People's Flaws Read More »
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