May we turn towards one another, and not away May our offerings be offerings of peace May we give them freely and from great abundance May the places where we meet be transformed into havens of shalom If only by virtue of our meeting there This song of mine is based on one of […]
Prayer
Overcoming Boredom: Rabbinic Advice for High Holy Day Services
In spite of our collective best efforts, I still hear people reporting anticipatory boredom when discussing their upcoming attendance at High Holy Day services. It’s a shame for a couple of reasons. First, High Holy Day services actually aren’t boring at all. Second, with all that life has to offer, there’s no reason to […]
6th Grade Tefilah Bootcamp
At the start of every school year we take our 6th graders aside for some special Tefilah learning that helps them get ready to participate in Middle School Tefilah. I returned to my office after the first of these special sessions, called “6th Grade Tefilah Bootcamp” to find the following thought-provoking prompts and responses on […]
Driving on Roswell Road
The other day I was driving on Roswell Road. In Atlanta. Sandy Springs, technically. It was about 6:15 pm. Suddenly. I realized. I knew the person. In the car. In front of me. Which made sense. Because we were headed to the same place. But then. I looked. In the rear view mirror. […]
How might we?
How might we be a little kinder? A little more compassionate? A little more present? A little more accepting? A little more curious? A little more open-minded? A little more engaged? A little more receptive? A little more appreciative? A little more humble? A little more aware? A little more uncertain? A little more flexible? […]
Everyday holiness
There’s long been a distinction in Judaism between “Kodesh” (“Holy”) and “Chol” (“Profane/Mundane”). In fact, the Havdalah Service at the end of Shabbat includes a blessing that thanks God for distinguishing between these two different states- Kodesh and Chol. The distinction comes from the fact that the rabbis of ancient times thought that part of […]