Thought of
the week.

I had an insightful conversation with a friend yesterday regarding what we can do when tragedy hits us. Specifically, we were discussing family members of people who suicided (by the way, I hate that word, and I wish we could come up with a different one.) The answer—over and over…

“It is only by becoming builders that we turn from subjects to citizens.” -Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Most of us find commonality in our past, our history, and our experience. An alcoholic can generally understand another alcoholic, and someone who has suffered a specific trauma can often relate to others who…

I have two ideas which I want to discuss; on the surface, they don’t seem to be connected, yet I believe if we take a deeper look from a slightly different angle, the connection is undeniable. First let’s look at the difference between shame and guilt. The message we take…

  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…

In the Torah portion of the week, one of the greatest miracles in the history of the world is discussed. This miracle is the splitting of the Red Sea.  Many have spent time trying to prove that this could have been an act of nature and not a miracle, which…

How do we create permanent change? How do we not only commit to doing what’s good for us and the world, yet stick to it and stay the course? My teacher once told me that any change which happens because of a world event, unfortunately typically doesn’t stick.  Remember 9/11?…

I have heard the statement, “God is everything or God is nothing” many times, and this week in reading the story of Moshe, I finally got an explanation that felt satisfying. Most of my life, I understood it as meaning God is omnipotent, all powerful, all being, and the truth.…

I have the privilege of being back in Israel, and while most people were celebrating the new year with smiles and partying, at midnight on New Year’s the city of Tel Aviv received a barrage of missiles. This is the tragic current reality for my brothers and sisters in Israel.…

How do we explain to our children what is going on in the world without causing them permanent scars? What is appropriate to share and what isn’t, and how do we strengthen them to help them see their own power? I just read a story by the great rabbi Jonathan…

I spoke about my experience in Israel last week, yet that was before the miracle I witnessed Friday night and witnessing the incredible gift that technology is. On Friday night as I was praying at the Western Wall, the sirens went off, suggesting a rocket was on the way. People…