Do I Say Yes To The Holiday Asks At the Checkout Counters?
Got a question? Fill out this form to submit your anonymous question to be answered in a future column. Dear Miriam, The other day, I was checking out at the […]
Thanksgiving In A Time Of Rising Antisemitism
Even as scenes of Neo-Nazis marching down the streets of Madison, Wis., where my son goes to college play over and over in my mind, on this Thanksgiving, I am […]
Self Care in Tough Times: Six Ways to Support Our Mental Health
The ground war in Gaza is intensifying. Skirmishes are growing along the northern border with Lebanon and in the West Bank. Everyone I talk to still seems to feel on […]
The World Has A Short Memory
On October 8 the world was on our side. No right-minded human being could condemn any action Israel would take after the terrifying, brutal, sickening massacre the Israeli people suffered […]
I March For…
On Tuesday, November 14, at a most absurd time in the morning, I joined 183 other Minnesotan Jews (let’s just call it 180 for Chai) on a trek to our […]
Africa Night To Honor Israel An Unexpected Surprise
Last week, I attended an annual event that I have ignored, even scoffed at, in years past. What is the motivation, I wondered, for African churches in Minnesota to plan […]
Jewish Great-Grandson Of A Righteous Gentile At Home In St. Louis Park
Judaism hasn’t had saints. We’ve had judges and prophets and kings in the Tanach, but really no saints. We’ve had great rabbis and scholars over the centuries, but no saints. […]
Teshuvah and The Environment
As we engage during the High Holidays in the process of teshuvah/repentance or change, we mostly focus on how we have hurt other people and how we want to be […]
Trying to Attain Perfection In An Imperfect World
“The place that those who do teshuvah can attain; — those who are completely righteous can never attain. Be-makom she-ba’alei teshuvah omdin ein tzadikkim gemurim ye-kholin l’amode.“ (Tractate Berakhot 34b) […]
Who By Water and Who By Fire
Look around you on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur as the powerful, frightening piyyut (liturgical poem) of UnetaneTokef is sung during the Musaf prayer. This awe-inspiring section depicts how we […]