Holy Days & Festivals

The Freedom of Now

When does time begin? What does time measure? What came before the beginning? Such mind-bending questions evoke timeless truths especially ...

Bah Humbug and Amazing Grace: Christmas for Jews

“Merry Christmas,” we’ve heard for weeks.For Jews living in predominantly Christian societies, Christmas evokes responses ranging from joy to alienation. ...

The Souls Who Whisper are Yelling Now

When I cook in my kitchen, I have a lot of company. I sometimes speak aloud to my grandmother who ...

Pilgrim’s Progress: Thanksgiving, Plymouth Rock and the House of God

Thanksgiving beckons loved ones together to count blessings and honor journeys toward freedom and plenty. Whether our ancestors traveled to these ...

I’m Only Happy When it Rains

Every year, I do my best to engage with the process of teshuvah (repentance) during the High Holidays. A few weeks ...

A Holiday of Reconciliation

Just before Sukkot began, news came out of a prominent Conservative rabbi who came out to his congregation as gay. ...

Putting God On The Geirut List

I recently had the privilege of serving on a Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) for an individual who was converting to ...

Yom Kippur is Finished: Will Your Seat Be Empty Until Next Year?

The majesty and transcendence of the High Holidays are behind us. Rosh Hashanah with its coronation of God and Yom ...

Sukkot, Our Interfaith Hippie Re-visioning Festival

On Sukkot, it’s customary to read Chapter 14 from the prophet Zechariah.Have you read it? I mean, really read it?If ...

The Day After Yom Kippur, Now What?

It’s the great communal experience of the Jewish people. We fill halls and sanctuaries and homes in eager anticipation. Some ...