This time of year compresses so much of Jewish emotion and history. Beginning with Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagvura (Holocaust Day) and continuing into the feeling of a “yoma arichta” (extended … more

It seems the entire world is reeling from the heinous terror attacks in Paris. Paris. The City of Light. Of beautiful romance. Culture. And culinary delights. And so, the entire world mourns with … more

Yom Ha-Atzma’ut, Israel’s Independence Day, has always been a complex day for me. As a child growing up in Jerusalem, would I be taken to join the live musical festivities or, because … more

From one Shabbat to the next, we traveled from moments of al eleh ani bochiya (for these I weep) to nachamu nachamu ami (take comfort, take comfort, my people). Between these two points in Jewish … more

In every generation, there are those storied lives of people, basically seemingly regular, ordinary people, whose sense of moral clarity, compassion and courage to act in historic moments is so … more

After  we’ve celebrated Shavuot and commemorated our receiving of Torah, it’s worth remembering that it almost didn’t transpire. In tractate Shabbat 88b, many of the famous … more

Probably the purest image in the world is that kidney-bean shaped baby in utero, cozily nestled in its mother’s womb. When I heard of the new abortion law passed in New York this week, in my … more

Mrs. Leah Kagan was one of my favorite people. When I think of the kind of person I want to be, it is she, a treasure of kindness and sweetness, one of the most accepting people I ever met, with an … more

Every time the Olympics rolls around, I want to believe in it. I want to partake in it from afar and cheer this idea of humanity coming together in the spirit of sportsmanship. When it’s the … more

Sheesh. I just don’t get it. Vice President Mike Pence arrives in Jerusalem, and makes a groundbreaking speech at the Knesset. He acknowledges that the modern state of Israel is on the cusp … more