Thought of
the week.

The process of amends and their relation to religion has always been very interesting to me. Some believe God can absolve them of all sins and some believe God can’t, and that once a sin has been committed, we are doomed to hell for all of eternity. Yet the view…

I had a fascinating conversation with my 11-year-old daughter the other day. She was telling me that her classmates and teacher were discussing their relationship with God and his commandments; her friends were saying that they must observe the commandments otherwise God would be angry with them, and that they…

One of the greatest gifts I have ever received would have to be friendship. To me, true friendship is a relationship where I’m seen and able to have true dialogue; where I don’t feel the need to answer, “I’m doing great”, when I’m not, and we speak about real concerns…

Recently, I was reading the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and this is what he shared regarding hate and racism: ‘I asked Judea Pearl, father of the murdered journalist David Pearl, why he was working for reconciliation between Jews and Muslims. He replied with heartbreaking lucidity, “Hate killed my son.…

In my life, I have often felt shame around the way I grieve. When my father passed away, I was saddened but not overly so, and I judged myself for not being sadder. Several months later, out of nowhere, a deep sadness befell me and at first, I wasn’t sure…

Recently, I was with a dear friend and we were having a discussion– or shall I say a disagreement. This week, New York instituted a mandate that if you aren’t vaccinated, you aren’t welcome in many indoor venues, such as restaurants, gyms, etc. His comment was, “It’s time to leave…

As a person in recovery, I have often struggled with the word ‘transparency’. The question being: what part of my story and my personal exploits do I share with the world, and more importantly, my children? My second question– and this is specific to my children– when, and at what…

Gandhi famously said, “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history”. Additionally, there is a Jewish quote that has had a huge impact on me: “Even if a knife is pointed at your neck, do not give up…

I started a new practice this week, and I’m curious about your feedback. I pray every day, and most of the time in my prayers, I ask God for sustenance, health, and wellbeing for my family. I pray for the pain and suffering to end; I pray for peace and…

When it comes to religious observance, dieting, sobriety, and exercise– at least in my life, I tend to go to extremes. I don’t have a middle ground, so I’m almost always either all in, or all out. However, I have found that in order for me to win the war–…