ritual
The Year of the Bar Mitzvahs
The “Derby Bunch”, or “Six Pack” as my parents like to call them, are a motley crew of grandkids – ...
Breaking the Cycle of Unwelcome in Jewish Life
For many of us going to a new synagogue or Jewish environment is tough. We spend time beforehand wondering if ...
Turned Away From The Mikvah
I had been selected for a 10-day workshop at Yad Vashem for Jewish educators and planned to arrive early and ...
Accumulating Things Or, Then Again … Nothing
We read in Pirke Avot, the Ethics of the Sages: “Who is happy?” The answer: “The one who is satisfied ...
From Mourning to Memory: Chasing Balloons, Wearing a Ring
For those of you who wear rings, this probably sounds familiar: you fiddle with your ring, a thousand times a ...
Overcoming Obstacles to Recite Mourner’s Kaddish with Dignity
My father died on Rosh Hashanah 5764. He died at home, in a clean white bed, surrounded by his wife ...
It’s Time for a New Calendar
I have a rich undergraduate memory of a professor teaching about communities. She said that one of the key aspects ...
Total Immersion: How I Found New Meaning in an Ancient Ritual
Ten of us walked to the creek, each one carrying her own trepidation, confusion, and curiosity. We represented different approaches ...
A Sweet Southern Simcha
For those of you who remember my very pregnant Passover post, you’ll be happy to know I made it through ...
What Tisha B’Av Can Learn From Ramadan
I did not fast during Ramadan. But I did somehow experience a little bit of the meaning of the Muslim ...