Forgive yourself forgive others forgive God forgive the universe forgive the past forgive the present forgive the future if you believe there is something that needs to be forgiven. But also know that everything that you’ve done, everything that has
Self Portraits of a Rising Kindergartener
My 5 year old daughter loves to draw. Over the years her drawings have evolved according to her fine motor skills, imagination, and interests. A few months ago she was decidedly in her floral period. Every day I could look forward
My Late Grandfather’s Purple Heart
Yesterday while scrolling through Twitter a story about Donald Trump opened the gates of memory. Passing through I found myself sitting on my grandparents’ living room couch. How many times did I ask Grandpa Lapidus to show me his WWII
Will you still love me tomorrow?
Last month my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I saw “Beautiful” at the Fox Theatre here in Atlanta. The show captivated me because, like Carol King, I’m a songwriter/composer. The creative tension writing incredibly personal music that is then
Every Jewish Wedding
Every Jewish wedding begins with some sort of invocation. Typically it includes the words, Bruchim habaim b’shem Adonai, berachnu hem m’beit Adonai (Welcome are those that come in the name of God, blessed are those from the house of God). When my
The Love Song You’ve Never Heard
So my wife, Rabbi Loren Filson Lapidus, and I recorded an album of beautiful lifecycle music that we’ve written in honor of various family celebrations over the last decade. It’s called Eit HaZamir. Whether you’re Jewish or not, whether you’ve experienced
Thoughts, End of the 2015-2016 School Year
Be prepared to stumble upon holiness in every moment. We grow subtly and abruptly, we evolve and we erupt. Discovering your voice is a lifelong journey. Thank God for all kinds, because it takes all kinds. Thank God for kindness, because
In praise of the regular
Pictured above are my kids, walking arm in arm, on our way to the park. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The park is just close enough for a walk. It’s not the first time and it’s not the last
Altars and Altars
This week’s Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20) and Haftarah (II Kings 11:17-12:17) present an interesting contrast that has to do with altars. Basically, there are some altars that we should build and some that we should tear down. On 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,