March 19, 2021
1
Wait ‘til you get to Vayikra,” my dad laughed, when I told him that I was starting a column called Parenting by Parsha. My mom laughed along with him. “Exodus is all stories,” she said, “but Leviticus is when it gets really tough.” My mom is a Cantor, and she’s chanted every Torah portion there […]
Continue readingFebruary 19, 2021
0
Is there a connection between being in the closet and being in bondage in Egypt? What does collective liberation feel like? What do we need to get there? How does it feel to step into the unknown Wilderness? Who has hardened their heart to your suffering? Who is the one who stepped first into the […]
Continue readingFebruary 19, 2021
0
Nearly 100 verses (96 to be precise). That’s how many lines of Torah are dedicated, in this week’s parsha, to describing the exact way in which the ark of the covenant should be designed. The text reads like a cross between an instruction manual (“The length of each cloth shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the […]
Continue readingFebruary 5, 2021
1
In our home, we have a game that we play several times a day, called Click-Pow. The premise is pretty simple. Our toddler is really into clicking the fasteners on the high chair and stroller into place. When they’re secured, he looks at my wife or me with an expectant eyebrow raise. Then we all […]
Continue readingJanuary 15, 2021
0
Our heroes have been through plenty of trials by now.
Continue readingJanuary 8, 2021
2
This week, Jews around the world will gather to hear the first verses of the book of Exodus, or, in Hebrew, Shemot. Exodus is the second book of the Torah, and (spoiler!) the main event is the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt in chapter 20. Actually, the whole book is full of action-packed moments, […]
Continue readingNovember 20, 2020
0
Ritual events like Bar and Bat Mitzvah have been part of everyone’s lives that have been disrupted by coronavirus. While most synagogues have remained closed since mid-March, a few have taken a shot at giving families an opportunity to celebrate on the bimah, rather than their dining room. Bet Shalom Congregation has been doing this […]
Continue readingOctober 30, 2020
May 29, 2020
0
George Floyd was murdered under the knees of a police officer, along with three accomplices. In many faith traditions, knees are used to bend in reverence to holiness. Reverend Ted Tollefson inspired my sisters and me to write this piece from the Jewish perspective as we head into the festival of Shavuot. Aleinu. It is […]
Continue readingApril 10, 2020
0
Shabbat at home with Minnesota Hillel on May 1st!
Continue reading