Posts by Asher Gottesman

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 hope”. I have met numerous…

Commitment is a huge word, and is such an important component in 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…

In the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “the highest status is not to care about status, and that influence is more powerful than power!” How many times have we taught by telling others to do as I say, instead of what I do? True power and true education come from influence, which is doing as…

When is it okay to lie? Or for that matter, is it ever really okay to lie? In the Torah, we see that Joseph’s brothers lied to him when asking for forgiveness. They told him that their father’s dying wish was for Joseph to forgive his brothers for the horrible misdeed of selling him into…

  When it comes to ethical boundaries, the obvious ones are pretty clear: don’t transgress against others, don’t steal, don’t kill, etc. Yet, when it comes to transgressions of a lesser level, how do we hold ourselves accountable? When boundaries aren’t as obvious, how do we keep ourselves on the straight and narrow? A simple,…

I’ve been thinking about when someone you love—or for that matter, someone you supervise, specifically a child—messes up. A simple example would be a child literally ignoring a test, not preparing at all, and scoring a bad grade. The first thing that comes to mind for me is consequences. Yet I want to motivate my…

“The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference. Can I recognize God’s image in someone who is not in my image, whose language, faith, and ideals are different from mine?” -Rabbi Jonathan Sacks   I have always been willing to see different points of view, and I have always been interested…

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 polar opposites in terms of world views, beliefs, etc.?…

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Many have been asked in their old age, what is important to them? Most people have shared, family, friendship, and service. In addition, most who have been asked if they would have lived their lives differently answer, “Yes, I wouldn’t work so much, I would spend more time with my loved…

This week is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. It is also known as the Day of Judgement, where our entire year is decided and decreed in the heavenly courts. Throughout my entire life, I have come into the holiday with fear, overwhelm, and concern of what will be this year, focused on the negative…