February 2015

Will There Be One Jewish People?

I have been thinking a lot again recently about the correspondence between one of the great Orthodox luminaries of the ...

Marriage: A Political Act, A Religious Endeavor, A Chance to Celebrate Love

Transplants to California from the Midwest and East Coast, we found each other in the Bay Area. Melissa, a minister in ...

Birth Control – Emphasis on Control

I can clearly remember where I was sitting, in the midst of my Bible class during my final semester at ...

C’mon Baby, Light My Fire

This week our Torah portion (Tetzaveh) will open commanding the Israelites to “light lamps that will burn day into night ...

Rabbis Should Double Down on Pop Culture

Growing up I had fond respect for the senior rabbi of my congregation. I learned much from him, but I ...

Different

Difference is part of life. This is true for everyone, but particularly the case when disability is part of our ...

But Can You Pick Your Family?

“Usually I would say I want to go to camp to see all my old friends, but to be honest ...

What’s Your Number?

I’ve been thinking about numbers lately. Not in a Jewish, gematria-type way, but in a way that kinda makes me wish I ...

Making Up for a Skipped Bat Mitzvah

Last month, my daughter celebrated her Bat Mitzvah. In the months before her Bat Mitzvah we moved from the Boston-area ...

Ellen and Janis: A Love Story

This month, in honor of Valentine’s Day, we are sharing love stories. We heard about a proposal at a Pride Parade ...