spirituality
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
Recently a woman asked me if it was okay during her prayers to pray to her deceased mother. She said,”the ...
Talking About Not Talking About It
Film lovers will be familiar with the concept of a “macguffin”—a term popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, master of mystery and psychological and emotional ...
Freundel: Not Just an Orthodox Problem
Much has been written about the impact of Rabbi Barry Freundel on the Orthodox world. In a community that sees ...
I’m Only Happy When it Rains
Every year, I do my best to engage with the process of teshuvah (repentance) during the High Holidays. A few weeks ...
Remembering Jenna
I don’t remember the date in September—even though, beginning on Labor Day, my son reminds me several times—but I have ...
Putting God On The Geirut List
I recently had the privilege of serving on a Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) for an individual who was converting to ...
Yom Kippur is Finished: Will Your Seat Be Empty Until Next Year?
The majesty and transcendence of the High Holidays are behind us. Rosh Hashanah with its coronation of God and Yom ...
The Day After Yom Kippur, Now What?
It’s the great communal experience of the Jewish people. We fill halls and sanctuaries and homes in eager anticipation. Some ...
Yom Kippur’s Circle Dance
Yom Kippur conjures solemnity and foreboding for many Jews. Ritual fasting, abstinence, penitence, and rehearsing for death evolved as core ...
Gratitude and Forgiving the Unforgivable
A while back I suggested a unique way of doing the chesbon nefesh (soul’s accounting) we are expected to do ...