The Opening of Wombs
Prophecy and Primogeniture: A Patriarchal Transformation
The telling and retelling of family stories is essential to the creation of identity. Without family stories, each of us is adrift on the sea of human experience, unable to find safe harbor or more than temporary mooring.
We Are the Ancestors
Chaim Nachman Bialik (Hebrew poet, 1873-1934) was born and raised in Eastern Europe. A recurrent image in his poems is the krechtz, the "sigh" or groan. He linked its genesis to his earliest childhood memories of his widowed mother.
The Voice of Jacob and the Hands of Esau
Tol'dot is a parashah of stories. It begins by narrating the birth of Jacob and Esau and ends with the account of Jacob's deception and the patriarchal blessing by the old, blind Isaac. These are familial stories about parents and siblings.
Digging Our Parents' Wells
Water is life. Our bodies are mostly water; our planet is able to sustain life largely because of its abundant supply of water. The symbolism of water flowing and nourishing the thirsty land is easily understandable, even by those who have never lacked rain.