Rings and Things: Remembering Loss, Moving Toward Life
During shiva for my mother, my father gathered my brothers and me to share a letter in which she expressed some musings and last wishes. The letter also said that as the sole daughter, I had inherited her jewelry box.
Shimon Peres on the Futility of War
After the recent passing of Israeli President Shimon Peres, z"l, I'm remembering the time I sat down with him in a Manhattan midtown hotel in 1994 at the beginning of the Oslo process to discuss the peace process.
What Is It About Israel?
It was a straightforward question, spoken in a tone that was casual but knowing: “Did it change you?” he asked us.
The Normandy Kaddish Project
This past September, my wife and I visited the Normandy beaches, including the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. Visiting the cemetery was an emotional experience.
Birthright and Bring Israel Home: A Winning Combination
We grew up in the same town. We went to the same temple, and attended the same middle and high schools.
Did the Plagues and Other Passover Miracles Really Happen?
Here is what I consider as the Passover seder unfolds every year.
Galilee Diary: Wilderness
The desert is not as desolate as it seems.
An Unexpected Messenger on Shabbat
I walked to Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda Street toward the end of Shabbat, thinking that I was going to wait on a park bench until Shabbat ended and the stores opened, in order to try to buy a Spiderman kippah for our son.
Why is This Night Different? Ending Slavery in Our Time
The Jewish people have a special connection to the curse of slavery and to its eradication. At the heart of our history is the Exodus.
“Avadim hayinu – We were slaves,” the Torah teaches.
Next Year, May We All Be Free
This year we are slaves. Next year, may we all be free.” (Haggadah, “Ha Lachma Anya”)