If each of us were to take our sorrows and put them in a box… [Goes a Hasidic teaching] And then given a choose of choosing any box we wished… Each of us would take back our own, for all
A Sukkah of Peace
For the last couple of years we’ve had “themed” Sukkahs at The Davis Academy. This year’s theme is: Sukkat Shlomeicha (Sukkah of God’s Peace). Or more colloquially, “The Peace Sukkah.” I’m really excited about it. The inspiration for this theme
Choose life
The Torah teaches, “Choose life…” Choose life. Choose blessing. Choose laughter. Choose openness to change. Choose fearlessness. Choose spaciousness. Choose loving-kindness. Choose walking. Choose dancing. Choose listening. Choose quieting. Choose responding. Choose awakening. Choose seeing. Choose breathing. Choose compassion.
Enough, enough, and enough: Parhsat Korach
The 16th chapter of the Book of Numbers tells the story of Korach. It’s typically taught as a story of rebellion. A faction of Israelites, led by Korach, challenges the authority of Moses and Aaron. Moses accepts the challenge
Why: Hello, Goodbye & Peace?
I started writing Jewish music in about 2008. By about 2011 I knew that the music was for more than just my own enjoyment. By then I had several hundred pages of musical ideas in various states of
The little aleph
The book of Leviticus, in Hebrew Vayikra begins, as you might imagine, with the word: Vayikra. “God called to Moses…” You’ll notice in the picture above that the final letter of Vayikra, the aleph is written smaller than all the other letters. In noticing this
#Search– #BlogElul Day 3
When push comes to shove to search is really to inquire. To search is to seek to discover, to understand, to make meaning. Which brings me to Midrash. In Hebrew, Midrash is both a specific literary genre and an ongoing
Ever-Living Word
The following was written in 1857 (in German) by one of the great intellectuals of the early Reform Movement, Abraham Geiger. Translation by Max Wiener: The Bible is now and has always been an ever-living Word, not a dead letter.
All I have to offer
A few years ago my colleagues and I wrote an opening prayer for t’fila at The Davis Academy middle school. It starts with the line, “All I have to offer in prayer is myself.” We recite it every time our
Bamidbar– the wilderness and the word
This week’s Torah portion is Bamidbar. It’s the first portion of the Book of Numbers. Bamidbar means “wilderness.” For 40 years, the Israelites wandered both literally and metaphorically through the wilderness of Egypt on their way to Canaan. Today we do