Recently I found myself sitting in a circle with a group of strangers. It was at a Jewish gathering. Jews love to sit in circles. We’re not the only ones. I think people like to sit in circles because circles physically represent a vision of community and human interaction. If you’re inside the circle, […]
People
Two Hours with NFTY-SAR
This Shabbat I had a chance to spend two hours at a NFTY-SAR Kallah here in Atlanta. I left feeling really inspired. I think that’s because I had a chance to connect with some “old souls”– the NFTY-SAR song leaders. I arrived a few minutes before an afternoon song session was about to begin. The […]
The Automatic Self
I’m starting to think that February is a month that brings with it a certain amount of unavoidable stress. There are a couple of contributing factors. First, we’re all sick of winter. Next, though February isn’t particularly busy, the spring ushers in a time of busy-ness for just about all of us. So we […]
3 Lions 3 Opinions
I saw these lions on display at The Davis Academy Lower School alongside about a dozen others. As I looked at them I was overwhelmed by the different emotions each conveyed. What emotions do you see? I wonder if we see the same. Emmanuel Levinas, the Jewish philosopher, wrote extensively about the power of the […]
You might say…
You might say… “I have nothing to say.” Or, “I have something to say but I’m unwilling to say it.” Or, “I have something to say but I don’t know how.” Or, “I’m not sure how it will sound.” Or, “It won’t make any sense.” Or, “If I say it, someone might think less, more, or […]
When things change
When someone we know experiences a difficult or unwanted life change many of us find ourselves not knowing what to say or how to be around that person. It could be a co-worker, friend, fellow parent, or even a family member. Are we allowed to say, “How are you?” Or, “What’s new?” Is it tacky […]