In the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis God tells Abram and Sarai (long before they become Abraham and Sarah), “Lech l’cha.” Commonly translated as “go forth” or “go” it’s actually something much deeper. If we translate it literally it comes out as something like, “go to yourself.” “Go to yourself”??? I don’t know […]
The unity of all humankind
I recently accompanied 7th graders from The Davis Academy on an interfaith field trip. We visited the Roswell Community Masjid, The BAPS Hindu Mandir, and Atlanta’s Baha’i Center. Having visited these three sites somewhat amazingly puts Davis Academy 7th graders in a small minority of people who have visited faith communities other than their own […]
How we celebrate
Jewish tradition teaches, “Rejoice in your holy days, and may your holy days be joyous.” As it turns out, Judaism has dozens of words that are all synonyms for “celebrate.” Simcha, rina, ditza, oneg… These are just a few. We learn a lot about a culture from its language. That Judaism has so many different ways of […]
How we honor
Jewish tradition teaches, “Who is worthy of honor? One who honors all creation.” How and what we honor says a lot about who we are. We live in a world that undervalues honor and that makes a caricature of honor. We undervalue honor by dishonoring almost everything: our selves, our communal institutions, our leaders– political […]
How we remember
How we remember says a lot about who we are– as individuals, as communities, as societies. This week marked Israel’s 67th Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day). The exact number of fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks is read. Traditional prayers are recited and bereaved mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers share their stories. We cry. All […]
Self reliance
I’m all about the “Lean on Me” approach to life. I sincerely believe that we are here to help one another in matters great and small. But recently I’ve come to a renewed appreciation for self reliance. We need to be able to look within– within ourselves, within our homes, within our workplaces, to find […]