One out of three hundred. When 299 armed soldiers deployed for Korea, my grandfather, whom I lovingly refer to as Zaida, defied the odds. He was chosen to serve as a legal clerk in a court-martial unit in the United States. I have heard him nostalgically recount his time in the Army since I was […]
History repeats. Happy that tye dye is back in style. The 60’s are back? But this time, it’s takeout movies only and living room concerts. Our resistance is not “Make Love Not War” It’s, “Black Lives Matter,” “We Can’t Breathe” and “Stay Home, Save Lives.” Two deadly viruses- Systemic Racism & White Supremacy and COVID-19. […]
For the past two months, I’ve been thinking: what if? What if we weren’t in a pandemic? What if everything was back to normal? In a time when I’m constantly imagining what could be, The Plot Against America helps shape my understanding of a shocking what-if scenario for American Jews in the 1940’s. HBO’s The […]
Abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department isn’t as radical as it sounds to most people. If you’re like many Twin Cities residents, you may be thinking “alright, it’s obvious the system is rigged. MPD has a history of abuse that isn’t ending with continued protests and attention.” Perhaps you recognize that, with the overwhelming power of […]
I started wearing a tallit for the first time in my life in November of 2018 at age 39. It took me a very long time to get there at all, and I fully acknowledge my motivation came from setting an example of my belief in egalitarianism for my daughters and not from any personal […]
There is a difference between unsafe and uncomfortable. Humans are most comfortable among like-minded humans. Social media has been built with algorithms to ensure we are surrounded by familiar opinions and we have options to dismiss perspectives we don’t wish to hear. Minneapolis was built so a white person never has to see a non-white […]
As a doctor, as an ally, as a Jewish mom, I offered help however I could.
My entire childhood is bound within six albums, they’re stacked full of certificates, letters I’ve written to the newspaper. They chronicle smiling photos of my late grandparents, they follow my life from birth to dance to the adventures my father and I used to take together on long trips. They document a loving relationship between […]
If you had told me February 29 was the last time I would attend services for who knows how many weeks – months really – I would have stopped and taken it all in. I would have stayed and talked with friends until I was kicked out of the building. I would have wandered the […]
Lag BaOmer (the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer) would be at the top of my list of little-known Jewish holidays. When I refer to holidays like Chanukah or Yom Kippur, people frequently understand the reference. When I mention the Counting of the Omer, there is much less familiarity. The Torah charges the […]