NonJews and nonpracticing Jews have often heard about Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. They’ve likely heard about the Pesach seder. But they often don’t know about Sukkot/s. A relatively lesser-known holiday, the history and symbolism of Sukkot/s is no less foundational than the others. A sukkah, in the most narrow vernacular definition, is a temporary, outdoor hut constructed using organic materials with prescribed dimensions and specifications. We hear a lot about the idea of

There may be an abuser in your shul. I’m sorry; I’m not saying this to spread rumors or fear-monger. I don’t know your shul or the people in it. But I do know some statistics. And they’re sobering. And I know some stories. Too many terrible stories. Disturbingly, some of them started in shul. Some even happened in shul. To be clear, there may or may not be a predator in your specific shul. But there are sometimes predators in shuls. Some of them seem like the shady char

Have you ever recited or read through the customary prayer called Zaka? If you haven’t, you may find it somewhat jarring. This lengthy supplication is featured at the very beginning of the Yom Kippur evening prayer services, even before the more famous Kol Nidreh. It reads as a heartfelt confessional, a desperate acknowledgement of guilt, and an expression of shame for wrongdoing, with much of the language focused specifically on various kinds of sexual transgressions. As a

When I was a kid, my brother and I used to watch this random tween show called “Out of this World.” It featured a girl who (was maybe secretly half alien from another planet? and) had a superpower, whereby she could touch her two index fingertips together to freeze time for everyone and everything but herself. She would generally do this when she’d gotten herself into some sort of sitcom-style dilemma, and needed a minute to figure out a way out of the pickle (the kind that

We’re often told that: “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” This quote is often (mis?)attributed to Albert Einstein, but regardless of the source, it does seem somewhat logical. Yet as Jews of faith, we are taught to pray and yearn daily for Mashiach (Messiah, also called Geula- redemption, and sometimes, Tikkun Olam- global repair). Opinions vary about what exactly will happen in this long-awaited post-

Note this was originally a schmoozeletter email several years ago, inspired by this week's Torah portion: Warm weather is just around the bend here in chilly New York, and I'm so looking forward to it, because summer is my season of joy. Do you have a favorite season? I was once listening to a lecture on the power of being present in the moment. The speaker said that he is so present and mindful, that he doesn't even look forward to upcoming happy events, because he's committ

There are many traits and behaviors that contribute to healthy relationships and many that sabotage them. There are two specific tendencies that are especially toxic and they are: Unbridled ego and unbridled desire. (In Hebrew they rhyme: Ga’ava and Ta’ava: ) The holy sacrifices in Vayikra are called korbanot, connected to the root “karov,” meaning close, because they symbolize the different ways we build intimate relationships with the Divine, and from which we can extrapol

A friend recently asked for a “quick pointer” to include as a paragraph or two in an article she was writing about Pesach preparation for a Jewish magazine. She wanted to address the common issue of pre- Yom Tov overwhelm. The questions she used as a prompt for this were a little challenging because responding to them helpfully would have meant writing at least two whole articles on their own. So I gave her a couple of ideas, but then realized that I could actually write my

Tu b’shvat is one the less known Jewish holidays, and is more about the symbolism than the ritual. There are no direct obligatory practices for this day, but many deep ideas. The essential one is that it’s the “ New Year for the trees” and is used to determine which year the fruits belong to when calculating agricultural laws within the land of Israel. Beyond that, many celebrate and acknowledge the blessing of our sustenance that grows from the Earth at the time when it’s

Note: some words are hyphenated per readers' requests to bypass filters. A few years ago, I was asked by a colleague to contribute to a book she was compiling. It was a series of essays, written by Jewish women, addressing the complexity of religious modesty. I respected both her and the project, but I chickened out. The topic just felt too fraught, too sensitive, too trauma-laden, and the ideological zeitgeists too shapeshifting for me to feel comfortable publishing words th

Note: This was originally an email to my subscriber list in 2021: Here in New York, we've been blessed with a pretty mild Autumn so far (isn't "Autumn" so much fancier and less stressful than "Fall"?) But for those who live with seasonal affect disorder, the low feeling that comes with colder weather and fewer sunlight hours, this time of year can be emotionally challenging. And that low feeling, can sometimes look like a seasonal depression. Depression can bring some unwant

Note: This was originally written as a subscriber email in 2022: Over the last week or two, I noticed a couple of funny interactions. They were situations where people wanted to pay me for something, and I found myself asking them not to. Which is weird, because 1. money is useful and 2. I had done something for them that normally people pay for. But these were specific instances in which I actively prevented payment. It got me thinking about the different reasons we will opt

Note: This was originally published as a subscriber email in 2022: I don't really like being told what to do- do you? (Well, except when I'm stuck in decision-making analysis paralysis- then I'm wishing for a prophet to tell me what to do. And it's usually at those times that it's most important for me to make my own decisions.. sigh.) Some people are natural rule followers, and appreciate the guidance and motivation to "do what's right." But others are by nature more rebelli

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a man who didn’t understand marital intimacy very well. This man married two women. This was a time and place in which polygamy was a norm but there was more to the story. He had a “use” for each wife, both purely physical. One was for procreation, and the other was for recreation. (Mainly his own.) One wife was given ancient birth control potions but lots of beauty products and fine foods. Her body was prioritized for aesthetics an

Bring Them Us Home In the aftermath of the 10/07/23 horrific massacre that Hamas waged on the peaceful people of Israel, the motto “bring...

Note: This was originally written several years ago as a subscriber email. Decades ago when I was in high school, we had a school...

Note: This post is more personal and less clear than usual- not sure if I'll leave it up, but sharing it for now: “Just because other...

This was originally an email subscriber post in 2022: Sometimes, (and when I say "sometimes" here, I mean "very often") when I'm working...

The following was originally posted in 2021 for email subscribers: Do you ever listen to audiobooks? Something I wish I had discovered...

The Four “H”s of Jewish History This was originally written in 2011, but lightly edited today 9 Av, 5785: Have you ever heard of "the...