In my San Jose Jewish Examiner column, I recently wrote about the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey. It reported that the number of American Jews who consider themselves religiously observant has declined by more than 20 percent over the last two decades while the number of Jews who consider themselves secular has risen. This survey, which included […]
Are You a Secular or a Spiritual Jew? Read More »
I’m determined to put spiritual practice back into my life. I’ve been struggling for a year at least to find the time for a sustainable practice. I know…I teach and write about practical spirituality, by which I mean short, easy, sustainable practices that fit into our busy lives. However, I have failed to practice what
Prayer in Odd Places and Odd Times Read More »
I’ve often thought about how we, as Jews, pray…or how anyone, for that matter, prays. Most religions have prescribed prayers, those written out for us, that we recite on certain occasions, such as when someone dies, during a wedding, or during morning or evening prayers. We may also have specific prayers we say or read
Does God Hear Us No Matter How We Pray? Read More »
Today I weeded another section of my extremely large garden. Every spring it becomes totally overgrown with weeds. If I’m not quick, they become shoulder high or taller and go to seed. This year, I got to the job too late. Actually, I have way too many other things going on in my life to
Tending the Garden of Your Soul Read More »
Candlelight. It’s magical, romantic, spiritual, and useful. But there’s more to the light of candles than might meet the eye. I’m always reminded of this in the winter. Candles are central to the celebration of many winter holidays but to Chanukah in particular. The story of Chanukah revolves around two main points: The success of
For Chanukah: The Kabbalah of Candlelight Read More »
Have you ever noticed how we create huge tangles of our lives? Maybe we just take one strand – a relationship or a job or a particular way of thinking or a small lie or a debt that gets larger over time – and we knot it up until its a total mess. Or maybe
Untying the Tangles We Make of Our Lives Read More »
The rains came this weekend, washing clean the dust of the summer, the soot from the wildfires and any remaining fear of new fires being kindled. In Northern California, the rainy season starts almost like clockwork on or around Halloween. I find that so amazing…almost miraculous. In the almost seven years I’ve lived
My Life Needs a Rainy Season to End the Drought Read More »
Here I am again with the sun going down on a Friday night and no challah (traditional egg bread) in the oven, no chicken or roast in the oven, not table set for dinner, not even candles prepared for Shabbat. The house is clean, thanks to Oliva, but no one will be home to enjoy
Doing Shabbos When You Can't Do Shabbos Read More »
Have you ever wondered why certain things just keep coming back into your life, almost like ghosts haunting you? I think they are the spirits of your unfinished business showing up in new and varied forms to make you face them once again and finally complete what you started. Complete. That term got used a
Unfinished Business Read More »
I recently subscribed to a blog written by a friend of mine, Arthur Kurzweil, an author, geneologist and magician. The blog, called “Let My People Know,” which offers “Essential Steinsaltz,” or daily teachings from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, author of one of my favorite books on Kabbalah, The Thirteen Petaled Rose, and modern Talmud commentator. Arthur
Starting a Spiritual Practice in a Practical, Sustainable Manner Read More »
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