Cantor, Teacher, Writer
One of my favorite things about going for a long run outside has nothing to do with exercise, fresh air, or fitness. As people run by me in the other direction, or I pass them along the road, I love to hear the very brief moment of conversation as they pass within earshot. I have ...
Once in a while, current events line up perfectly with the week’s Torah portion. So even though sometimes it feels like we’re approaching the end of civilized life, we actually find some parallels in the story of creation, which we read this week in Parshat Breisheet, comprised of the very first chapters of the Torah. ...
A number of years ago, the Israeli government needed to add a special fighter plane to its arsenal. The plane would cost $500 million, and the government didn't know where they were going to find the money. One professional fundraiser said, "No problem--we'll find 500 of the wealthiest Jews around the world and simply ask ...
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 ...
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 ...
One of the most important ways of understanding the Bible is to remember the saying of the Rabbis: דיברה תורה כלשון בני אדם The Torah speaks in the language of mankind. That is, the text is purposely presented in a way that we can relate to. So it should come as no surprise that as ...
