Jewish Texts
This Little Flame of Mine
The week began with me feeling self-conscious gesturing with my hands and glittery purple nails. I recently read Rebecca Sirbu’s ...
Bruce Springsteen Would Be Proud (Or Maybe Scratch His Head in Confusion)
Two weeks ago, I joined thousands of families around Israel for a time-honored ritual: the Saturday night grand finale of ...
Exercising Religious Freedom
I’m a runner, a three-time marathoner. Whenever someone asks when I took up running, I say I started 12 years ago. ...
When Creativity and Faith Collide
Growing up as the daughter of two teachers, my parents encouraged me to read every kind of book that I ...
Jewish Women Deserve Better
Five months ago, I wrote about my struggles as a newly married woman in adjusting to the observance of Taharat ...
The Shofar Is Calling; Will You Answer?
Each shofar has a unique undulating shape and trumpeting sound. The sound may be low and haunting or bold and ...
Commanded to Dis/Connect
A few weeks ago, I celebrated the marriage of two dear friends. Along with the biological and chosen families of ...
Blessing the Shabbat Lights – A “Modern” Jewish Ritual
The quintessential image of home, holiness, and Jewish motherhood is that of a woman blessing the Shabbat candles, performing a ...
A Time to be Silent and a Time to Speak
“There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” So says the author of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) in a ...
Owning Our Heritage: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
“To celebrate freedom and democracy while forgetting America’s origins in a slavery economy is patriotism a’ la carte.” A recent ...
Jews Don’t Believe in Birthdays but in Saving Lives
My husband does not do birthdays. When I first met him over 20 years ago, this truly puzzled me. Birthdays ...
Should We Care About People Not Like Us?
The context was a class on the gun violence epidemic in Chicago. I had finished the presentation by mentioning some ...