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 »
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 »
Ahad Ha’Am said, “More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.” Great wisdom can be found in that statement not just for Jews but for anyone who wants to strengthen their religious or spiritual practice. Indeed, a full day spent in worship can do amazing things for your soul and for
Practical Spirituality: Keeping the Sabbath Read More »
Today Jews all over the world celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. On this day, the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, they commemorate Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. This holiday also is known as the Festival of Weeks named in Exodus 34:22 and Deuteronomy 16:16. Shavuot is celebrated seven weeks and a day
Receive-and Give-Your Torah Read More »
Yesterday many Jews observed Holocaust Memorial Day. Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah, literally the “Day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism,” is celebrated on the 27th day in the month of Nisan, a week after the seventh day of Passover, and a week before Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers). It marks the
Today marked the last day of Passover. I think of the week of Pesach like a seven day birth period during which I have the chance to be reborn free of at least one the things I feel constrain me. We are told that the Israelites left Mitzrayyim, the Hebrew word for Egypt, which all
Were You Reborn During Passover? Read More »
Today I’m considering the Passover symbol of the egg, roasted or otherwise. Called beitzah, it symbolizes rebirth and represents the second sacrificial offerings given at the ancient Temple in Jerusalem on Passover. Here are some questions that come to mind around beitzah. How do I want to be reborn? That’s a hard question to answer.
Beitzah: Will You Be Reborn or Give Birth on Passover? Read More »
Second day of Passover…on to the second symbol on the seder plate: zeroa, the lamb shank, which represents sacrifice. The zeroa symbolizes the Paschal lamb offered as the Passover sacrifice in the ancient Temple. Getting away from the idea of communal sacrifice, I am thinking about personal sacrifice now. Thus, I ask myself: What will
Making Sacrifices and Seeing God's Hand Read More »
I couldn’t let the last night of Chanukah pass without posting some sort of teaching. (I know I already posted a blog today…) I knew I had read something somewhere about the importance of the eight night, and then I remembered! My friend Rabbi David Zaslow posted this on Facebook: The symbol for 8 is
On the Eight Night of Chanukah the Miraculous Becomes Evident Read More »
The Kabbalists talk a great deal about the “light.” Through our actions we draw this Divine light into the world, thereby, increasing the light—or we push the light away, cover it up, and diminish its presence. In the Zohar, the mystical text of Kabbalah, there is a teaching that says that everything is new when
Chanukah Light Helps Us See Miracles Read More »
As we get ready to light the first candle on the chanukiah, marking the first night of Chanukah, I want to remind everyone that afterwards we are supposed to place it in the window to shine its light outward into the world. This is a way of reminding the world of the possibility of miracles
Shine Your Own Light This Chanukah Read More »
Free Soul-Alignment Session
Do you:
Let's chat about how to get you from where you are to where you want to go.
Sign up for a 15-minute session below.
