Yom Kippur Blessings: For Starting Observance of the Day
On Yom Kippur, we share a holiday meal called seudat mafseket, the concluding meal before the fast begins. We begin the meal with haMotzi, the blessing over the challah
Mi Shebeirach - Prayer for Healing
The Reform Movement at Its Best
This past weekend, my wife Helene and I had a chance to see the Reform Movement at its best and got to do so while also listening to the Boston Symphony Orchestra play Mozart and Ravel.
Talkin 'Bout My Generation
Can you hear it? They’re talking about us again. They’re theorizing and pontificating on us 20s and 30s, jumping to conclusions about our Jewish identity. They’re pointing to declining numbers in affiliation with synagogues and other institutions, and they’re afraid. Terrified, even.
Finance Free Friday Nights: How Shabbat Can Help Ease Weekday Anxiety
Shomer Shabbos Dos and Don’ts: A Quick Guide for Reform Jews
Late yesterday afternoon, I posted this update on Facebook:
A Coney Island Shabbat
If Shabbat is all about taking a divinely commanded breather from the work-a-day routine to celebrate God's rest following creation, then surely this past Shabbat was nearly as good as it gets for me and a few of my friends.
Shabbat Meditation
I wrote this meditation when I was a member of the Shabbat Committee at Temple B’nai Or in Morristown, N.J. It is meant to be read before L’cha Dodi at Friday evening services.
The Promise of Shabbat
I was stunned the first time my then-8th grade daughter Rebecca called me on a Friday afternoon to inform me that she wouldn’t be home for dinner. Yes, she knew it was Friday night. And yes, she understood that it was Shabbat.