A Southern Jewish Woman’s Story from 1879 Asks Questions Still Lingering Today
I recently came across a short story titled Miss Magdalena Peanuts, published in the Atlantic Monthly in September, 1879. It ...
The Mezuzah & The Magnolia
The door to my apartment is pretty distinct: It just might be the only one in this city that welcomes ...
Claiming Our Spiritual Ancestry
In the year 2000, I was still a newly-minted Jew, having completed my conversion in March of 1999. As Passover ...
He Lived Long, Prospered… And Spoke Yiddish
Like so many others, I was very saddened to hear about the passing of Leonard Nimoy last week.One of my friends, ...
“Southern & Jewish” Does Not Mean “Less Jewish”
My family flew to Los Angeles two weeks ago to attend the funeral of my father-in-law, z’’l. We had been ...
God’s Abortive Assassination Attempt
Parshat Shmot which we read this week contains one of the most bizarre incidents in all of the Torah. By ...
Fix Society. Now. Please!
It’s been just over a week since Leelah Alcorn committed suicide. Leelah grew up not far from where I live ...
I Am A Border State
I recently completed a one-year Kahn Fellowship for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. My aim during the fellowship ...
People, Places, Surprises, and More on the Road with Tent: The South
Tent: The South was an immersive learning experience.18 strangers got on a bus and trusted me to show them the ...
One Place Can Be Many Different Spaces
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Tenement Museum in New York City. The museum, which ...
Jewish Identity: Asking the Wrong Question
I have been thinking a lot about Jewish identity recently. How do we define our own connection to Judaism? What ...
Mishkan in Mississippi
The last thing I imagined to find when I moved to Mississippi? A tabernacle.Over the years, I’ve learned a lot ...