July 23, 2021
0
A few weeks ago, my cousins came to visit us from Boston. It was a joyous day — we hadn’t seen one another for ages due to COVID-19 regulations. We hugged, and caught up, and ate cherry pie. Also, they brought a birthday gift for our little one — magnetic tiles to build with. Our […]
Continue readingJuly 2, 2021
0
In two weeks, my older sister will basically be my neighbor. Okay, that’s not exactly true — Jersey City is not next door to Brooklyn. Nevertheless, it’s a heck of a lot closer than Chicago, where she’s been living for the last while. And it’s a whole lot closer than Israel, where the rest of […]
Continue readingJune 18, 2021
0
Talk to the rock, says God. The rock will give you water.
Continue readingJune 17, 2021
0
This past Saturday wasn’t just a normal Shabbat morning service at Beth Jacob Congregation — it was the first time the senior rabbi had the opportunity to lead services to a room full of people. Adam Rubin, who moved to Minnesota a year ago to take the leadership of the Mendota Heights synagogue, had spent […]
Continue readingApril 23, 2021
0
My toddler knows how to say the word “no” now. To be completely fair, he also knows a lot of other words. Actually, this week he said his first full sentence — when my wife asked what he was doing (building a Lego tower), our little one slowly said “Ani boneh!” (I’m building!), and we […]
Continue readingApril 16, 2021
0
Welcome to a world of disease. This week’s double Torah portion features dozens of verses detailing skin maladies — ingrown hairs, oozing pustules, discoloration, and a whole lot more. Every year, when Tazria-Metzora rolls around, anyone in the congregation who speaks Hebrew grimaces. The first quarter of 2021 has wrapped up, and we’re living in […]
Continue readingApril 9, 2021
1
Shemini, or ‘eighth,’ is not a portion about Crazy Eights. It does start by telling us what should happen on the eighth day (unusual for the Bible, wherein so many things happen on the seventh day), and dives right into some more sacrifices, in case you hadn’t had enough yet. Then the book of Leviticus […]
Continue readingMarch 31, 2021
0
Apiece of art can evoke an array of emotions and a variety of interpretations from different people, but one thing is clear: art appeals to nearly everyone, uniting people of various cultures and religions. This common thread was the artistic force behind a current virtual exhibit called Visual Prayer. Parts of the exhibit feature the […]
Continue readingMarch 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 reading