Word Prompt – AISH – Ariel Rackovsky
The Torah singled out igniting fire as the paradigm for Shabbos observance, because our attitude toward one another on Shabbos is what will ensure its observance in future generations.
Word Prompt – PREGNANT – Hillel Fuld
Why did G-d even create this thing called pregnancy? Why not just make babies come to this world without the nine-month pregnancy period?
Word Prompt – SANCTUARY – Hanoch Teller
While on the subject, there is one other sanctuary that we are indeed all familiar with, although we never refer to it with this term. And that is the chuppah.
Word Prompt – WAXY – Chani Miller
Waxy is a peculiar word which can also mean flexible and yielding; an elusive but desirable character trait whose development has allowed me to grudgingly accept that it’s okay that I don’t have the potato kugel gene.
Word Prompt – MORAH – Ana Mandelbaum
Next time you are about to act, whether it be a kiddush or (chas v’shalom) a chillul Hashem, remember who you are, a morah.
Word Prompt – STICKY – Ann Koffsky
But the key to stickiness is in the sharing. If there is no sharing, nothing sticks. A word can’t become a name. A second question is never asked.
Word Prompt – MISTAKES – Sarah Pachter
I remember the first time I heard that failure creates courage. I was confused; I thought success made a person confident. Until I actually experienced it.
Word Prompt – SCHLEP – Jordana Baruchov
What exactly is a schlepper? In that simple scene, he was the one carrying the bags. But the term schlep carries more than just physical weight – it has a certain heaviness to it.
Word Prompt – FATHER-IN-LAW – Avi Ganz
Lavan wasn't just a bad father-in-law; he was a bad person. In contrast, Yitro is a man with a significant past and what seems to be a very strong moral compass. And he wants to help.
Word Prompt – HAMBURGER – Kylie Ora Lobell
Today, I love trying to recreate those moments with my husband and daughters and make new memories that will surely last a lifetime.
Word Prompt – SHTREIMEL – Shlomo Litvin
Although not present in my circles, it's hard not to admire the grandeur. It’s also hard to mistake the shtreimel as anything but a sign of proud Judaism.
Word Prompt – BLIND – Rachel Tuchman
Researcher and author Brene Brown wrote about what her mother taught her about other people's pain. The lesson was simple: Don’t look away. Don’t pretend not to see hurt. Look people in the eye. Even when their pain is overwhelming.
Word Prompt – WALLS – Rivka Press Schwartz
If we valued, recognized, made more space for the wisdom of the hands, we'd allow more people to feel successful, accomplished, seen in our community.
Word Prompt – BEIS DIN – Stephen M. Flatow
To me, the best part of beis din is that it allows us to not have to air our laundry in civil courts...
Word Prompt – HAKARAS HATOV – Lenny Solomon
You do not have to wait until you win an Academy Award to show hakaras hatov. You can thank people every single day.
Word Prompt – CROWN – Eli Lebowicz
It was a full-circle moment because I had recently opened my yearbook from 12th grade and saw that for the section that guessed what everyone will be doing in 10 years, mine apparently said, comedian.
Word Prompt – TOV – Mayan Zik
Faith is trusting that whatever may come, in the long term or, better yet, the short, everything will work out for our personal and/or communal good.
Word Prompt – DEGEL – Orit Esther Riter
According to the Baal Shem Tov, every individual carries a divine spark and mission – their own inner degel. Healing begins when we reconnect with this inner identity.
Word Prompt – GEZUNT – David Pardo
Health is like anything else: the set of circumstances within which we operate.
Word Prompt – GREEK – Rochelle Brand
As it is written in Eshet Chayil: Sheker hachen v'hevel hayofi, ishah yir'at Hashem hi tithalal. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the L-rd is to be praised.
Word Prompt – CHACHMA – Ariel Rackovsky
Usually, the mind is viewed as the seat of the intellect, of chachma, and emotions are associated with the heart. A term like chacham lev sounds like a paradox, but of course, it isn't one.
Word Prompt – REGRET – Cecelia Margules
With maturation, and a greater understanding of her pain and suffering, I realized that she taught me and others so much.
Word Prompt – BABY – Kylie Ora Lobell
The best things in life – practicing Judaism, being married, having children – can be very difficult. But without the struggles, we wouldn’t appreciate the joys.
Word Prompt – KAVOD – Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz
True kavod habriyot is not about treating well those whom we know, or like, or feel comfortable with. It is about honoring the bit of the Divine inside every human being we encounter.
Word Prompt – SLICHA – Rachel Tuchman
An apology is so much more than just saying the words I’m sorry.
Word Prompt – GENESIS – Keshet Starr
The figures in Genesis don’t just passively go about their lives; they yearn, they rage, they see the with jealousy, they love, they cry, they mourn.
Word Prompt – LEVIIM – Eli Lebowicz
One perk is that on Simchas Torah, being a Kohen or Levi is like having TSA PreCheck. I know I just got here five minutes ago and I get an aliyah all the time, but I guess I’ll go straight to the front of the line.