Thought of
the week.

Individual rights versus communal rights is a topic that has been on my mind lately. The one that challenges me quite a bit personally is forcing people with mental health challenges to take medication. On the one hand, when someone who has challenges is medicated, they make better decisions, especially…

Leadership, morality, ethics and beliefs are not always transmitted to the next generation by example. We can be great leaders, we can be moral, and we can be ethical; however, if we don’t spend time with our children and we aren’t present for the next generation, it isn’t a given…

For most of my life I have put people on pedestals, only to knock them off when they behaved as humans do. Additionally, I have watched how dangerous it is to be a leader who assumes the role and puts themselves on a pedestal. I have spent many years soul…

In the Torah portion of the week, we discuss the revolt of Korach against Moses. Korach was upset that he didn’t have a grander leadership role, and he also accused Moses of nepotism because Moses gave his brother and nephews priestly roles. Korah sought out others who had grievances as…

The Torah shares a wild story of ten men, all of status, humility, and integrity. These men are respected by all as devout and faithful to God, and are chosen to check out the promised land of Israel and report back on their findings. Instead of returning and reporting positively…

This is a very sensitive topic, yet I think it’s really important to discuss, and even more important, to take the needed action. I’m a part of a mental health community striving to help people help themselves, and I believe we have failed miserably when it comes to treating suicide.…

Power of thought—or, the power over thoughts—has the ability to turn a bad situation into a good one. We truly don’t have control over our circumstances, yet we do have ultimate control over how we respond. I was speaking with a friend last night who told me about a year…

I received a text this week from someone I love who is very important to me. Based upon the nature of the text, I immediately came to the conclusion that this person was upset with me, disappointed in me, and didn’t like me. All sorts of negative stories were circulating…

In the Jewish faith, it’s truly fascinating to ponder why God chose to give the tablets to the Jewish people in the desert at Sinai. Why not wait until the Jews reached the homeland? Why did this happen in such an isolated space? Rabbi Jonathan Sacks offers a beautiful explanation;…

How can we come to see the similarities instead of the differences? How do we figure out a way to understand that we are all seeking the same thing — safety and connection — and that it’s possible for us to coexist and find similarities, even if we really are…