Archive for July 2024

Music is such an important part of my life. It makes me feel spiritually connected, helps me connect with myself and to God, and lifts my spirits. Music enhances my mood, and it’s the way I feel closest to my creator.  In the Jewish religion, almost all prayer has some sort of tune, whether it…

Great leaders have many qualities, but humility is usually not one of them. With rare exceptions, they tend to be ambitious, with a high measure of self-regard. They expect to be obeyed, honored, respected, even feared. They may wear their superiority effortlessly—Eleanor Roosevelt called this “wearing an invisible crown”—but there is a difference between this…

In the portion of the week, the Torah discusses the idea of commandments which don’t make sense, yet we are still obligated to keep them. The Torah isn’t superfluous or controlling—it’s not looking for ways to play mind games—so why must we do things which don’t make sense?! With modern science, we have become acutely…

I have been noticing in my personal life that there are certain habits that are so obvious to me—whether they be physical habits like eating and exercise, spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer, or personal commitments to speak kindly and respectfully and not engage in gossip. While these are all areas I know I…

One of my favorite parts of Judaism is that it encourages us to question, to doubt, to grapple, to seek, and to find the deeper meaning.  This doesn’t give us permission to not follow the rules, yet it gives us permission to question them. Judaism challenges us to not just be a lame duck, yet…