My Jewish friends ranged from “bagel and cream cheese Jews”, meaning bagels were about as Jewish as we got, to Jews who went to Synagogue twice a year dressing in really
GREEN SPEECH
As elusive as is peace, so too is love. Just how do we love our neighbor? We can make a phenomenal start by guarding how we talk about our boss, our sibling, our spouse…
SILENT
Lag BaOmer… I can’t and should not justify in any way why these terrible things happen. If I am responsible for myself, a mere little tiny human being…
HOPES, DREAMS & a Wallop of JOY!
And then one day, while washing the dishes, I remembered….I have that joy. I know that face. Inside me. It’s….
AN AMERICAN DREAM & catcher of the fallen angels
She lived in the Bronx, he lived in the South Bronx. My dad got by on his good looks and predominant strong-silent-type charm. Also, being a good dancer went a long way back in the 30s and 40s. However it did not transfer into his financial life. My father…
A CATHOLIC, A JEW and a life changing chat
I used to feel safer if there was no G-d, because then at least I thought the playing field would be even…in this game, there would be no referee calling unfair plays on me. If you are like I was, you don’t want to hear people talking about…
AN IMMIGRANT’S STORY: After Ellis Island
My family, like so many Jews fleeing persecution and harm, arrived in the U.S. scarred and having survived trauma. This was the early 1900s. I can imagine their enormous relief and gratitude to arrive in the United States and be allowed to stay. Of course my grandparents would likely have been killed in the Shoah if Read More
IRREVERENT LOVE
For even the smallest infractions, I want to hold grudges, if … someone cuts me off in traffic, returns my smile with a frown, does not seem to respect my opinion. AND yet, when I release my grudges on this minuscule level, it’s
THE SHABBOS WHALE
…invited into the intimacy of a home to share a Shabbat meal. Still, I was going to be a no, thank you. Easier to not put myself in this new situation with people I don’t really know and to stay in my comfortable known environment…
turn turn turn
..in terms of Torah knowledge, I’d say I was about a one. The psalms? I wasn’t sure if they were Jewish, Christian, both, neither? It was kind of confusing.
THE WISDOM OF A FOOL
As my departure date approached, and the “yes” was not forthcoming, I twisted myself into a pretzel. I forgot the “it will work out exactly how it’s supposed to…”part. I felt impossibly
THE HARDEST TOPIC OF ALL: humility?
Humility. So elusive. I want it. Then just when I think I have it, I’ve lost it by the pride I’ve garnered from thinking I’ve attained it! It’s coming up because
ON A WING & A PRAYER
I bought my plane tickets for Israel today. The fact is I don’t yet have permission to enter the country. Covid and all. My guardian angel (and exceedingly practical) friend encouraged me to wait…Of course I didn’t listen…
Laugh, SURRENDER & say thanks
I joked that I can be a bit flighty. As if to prove my authenticity, I stood up and the remainder of my hot pot soup somehow landed squarely in my lap, upside down…broth, oil, vegetables, chicken and…