The Power Of Words
The first half of the following poem is loosely based on a true situation as shared with me by a very close friend whose family "culture" was to "good- naturedly" tease one another or make gentle fun of each other's looks and actions.
Bubby? Who Me?
When my oldest grandchild, Penina Bracha, was born three years ago on Yom Kippur, the fact that there was now a third generation in the family - two after me, didn't really have any major impact on how I viewed myself.
Al Chait… (For The Sin…)
Every year as we sit in shul during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we make a chesbon nefesh - a reckoning of our actions and reactions.
It’s How You Look At It
It's hard to believe Rosh Hashanah is just days away. It seems like we were just putting away our Pesach dishes and hoping that the looming summer months would not be too unbearably hot and humid.
Going Back To The Old Ways
According to the Talmud (Ta'anit 30b-31a), on the 15th of Av unmarried girls would dress in plain white clothing, so that those from wealthy families could not be distinguished from the poorer ones.
Going Back To The Old Ways
According to the Talmud (Ta'anit 30b-31a), on the 15th of Av unmarried girls would dress in plain white clothing, so that those from wealthy families could not be distinguished from the poorer ones.
Letting Go – And Holding On
For many parents late summer is a bittersweet time. Children are going off to college, or a post- high school year in Israel, or getting married.
The Shidduch Parshah May Be Fattening And Bad For Your Health
I'm not a doctor, nor a biological scientist, but I do know that people under stress produce a hormone called cortisol, which helps the body deal with a stressful event by increasing energy and immunity and even lowering sensitivity to pain.
Painful Words: A Painful Reality
Jews globally are commemorating the Three Weeks of Mourning period that began with last Sunday's 17th Day of Tammuz fast and culminates with the Fast of Tisha B'Av.
‘Watch Over The Souls Of Your Children’
My last two columns dealt with the biblical injunction that we "watch over our souls."
Eye-Opening ‘Teshuvah’
Jews the world over just celebrated our receipt of the Torah and our unconditional acceptance of its precepts.
The Shidduch Sky Is Not Falling
My daughter in-law was a guest at a recent brunch/fundraiser for women only, during which the guest speaker spoke about the number one topic that seems to be on everyone's minds - shidduchim.
The Benefits Of High Gas Prices
People have been bitterly complaining about the rising price of gas.
Remembering An Eishet Chayil
Most Pesach observers - after a week of overdosing on matzah and potatoes - in a myriad of manifestations look forward to when Passover has, well, passed over.
The Passover Story (As told by a young mother to her daughter)
"We were slaves down in Egypt,"
The young, cheerful mother said,
As she knelt on the floor
And swept under the bed.
See What Happens When You Don’t Pay Attention?
I'm not quite ready yet to shut the door on Purim. Perhaps it's my way of avoiding dealing with Pesach, and the physical and emotional effort that comes with it.
Why I Like Yom Kippur
You might think it odd talking about Yom Kippur just days before Purim. But actually that is exactly why I am thinking so fondly of our holy fast day.
Why I Like Yom Kippur
You might think it odd talking about Yom Kippur just days before Purim. But actually that is exactly why I am thinking so fondly of our holy fast day.
There Is No ‘Road Not Taken’
The poem "The Road Not Taken" by renowned American poet Robert Frost expresses the gnawing curiosity that a traveler knows he will always have about the road that he didn't take.
Appreciate Life By Saying ‘Thank You’
One of the subjects I was taught as a young child in the excellent day school I attended in Toronto (at the time called Associated Hebrew Day Schools) was Tefillah.
