Posts by Asher Gottesman

Right now, we are celebrating the holiday of lights: Chanukah, a festival where we commemorate the miracle of the last remaining holy jug of oil that was supposed to last for one day, and ended up lasting for eight days. Additionally, we are celebrating the miracle of the many falling to the hands of the…

I sit here, staring at a wall that has been the scene of generations of disagreement, war, dispute, hurt, harm, anger, despair, tears, and sadness. I sit here, in front of a wall that has been the scene of celebration, hope, love, happiness, appreciation, and gratitude. It’s the Western Wall of the old city of…

I’m experiencing a sort of existential crisis, and I would love your feedback and opinions, as I believe this is something that affects all of us. I’m blessed with the privilege of helping people help themselves. This is typically easy, as I know I’m not in charge, and I make it clear that each individual…

To me, love is the most powerful of all emotions. Love can be dangerous and love can be beautiful– yet love alone isn’t always enough. So often when my children are in pain–whether from a medical procedure that must be done, or from schoolwork that feels overwhelming– I want to allow them to stop, to…

How do we show up in different areas of our lives? I have a podcast called ‘Showing Up’, and while it’s clear to me how to show up for myself and in the world most of the time, I don’t always know how to show up for a friend. The world can be a very…

I was just reading Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ thoughts on the weekly Torah portion, where he suggests that based on the wisdom of Abraham, the number one attribute when looking for a significant other is civility (known in Hebrew as Chesed). I interpret this as meaning an act of service. To me, service is being kind,…

‘Ghosting’ is the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. Typically, this happens in romantic relationships, however, I have seen it happen in friendships and even social or business relationships. I had an experience this past week with ghosting that I would like to share…

I want to talk with you about the concept of ‘good versus evil’. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending my annual men’s group that I missed last year due to Covid. One of the discussions we had was regarding the afterlife, religion, and our beliefs. I suggested that any religion or belief is valid,…

Leadership plays a hugely important role in my life. I am constantly questioning how I can be a good leader to myself, to my children, and to all those around me. In my view, the key to great leadership is embracing humility and truly being seen as a member of one’s community. This means that…

Commitment is a huge word, and is such an important component of all of our lives. The question is: How do we hold ourselves accountable to our commitments? In my past, I have made countless resolutions—sometimes daily, sometimes annually (think New Year’s resolutions)—only to not make it last longer than a week or a month…