Cantor, Teacher, Writer
I had a bit of an AHA! moment the other week. Often that just means I remembered where I put my keys. This time it was a little more profound. I had the privilege recently to see the Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof that is playing at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NY. ...
Perfection is overrated. I've probably prepared well over 1,000 kids for their b'nei mitzvah, and by far, the number one fear any of them have expressed is that when they're standing on the bimah, chanting their haftorah or a part of the service, they'll make a mistake. Well-meaning parents and other adults feed into this ...
Let's try a little exercise: If I mention the Jewish concept of modesty, tzni-ut in Hebrew, often referred to by its Yiddish pronunciation, tznius, what comes to mind? Stop reading for a minute and picture what modesty means within the Jewish religion. Then come up with some images in your mind. Scroll down when you're done. ...
New technologies provide us with fantastic opportunities to connect, communicate, and have instant access to the world around us. As a synagogue professional, however, I'm sometimes troubled by how a certain generation has embraced their devices. We all share a responsibility to train people in the proper and appropriate use of phones when in temple. ...
Names are serious business in Judaism. I think it all started in the Torah--all of the main characters' names are loaded with significance. When Sarah was pregnant with Isaac, she thought the idea of a 90-something year old woman giving birth was hilarious. Sure enough, Abraham named their son Yitzchak, meaning "laugh." Years later, as ...
Just when we go to all that trouble to get kids to come to services, we hurriedly rush them out and tell them they're not welcome. Four times a year, we recite Yizkor--on Yom Kippur, as well as on the last day of each of the Three Festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The service itself ...
The Four Questions. Do any other three words strike as much fear into the hearts of little Jewish kids around the world as those? Generations of Jews remember having to stand up in front of everyone present (and especially nasty old Aunt Ida who never had a good thing to say) and sing these questions ...
