Tag: judaism
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There Was a Tiny Hut in My Backyard…and the Neighbors Were Confused
A few weeks ago, immediately after Yom Kippur, I lugged out various packages, boxes, and containers. Several metal and PVC pipes, bamboo poles, a roll out bamboo roof, decorations, tarps, and the list goes on. I was building a sukkah — a temporary dwelling — for the first time in my life. In my backyard….
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It Always Begins & Ends This Way
Shana tova! Happy New Year….in September/October! That’s right, we’re in the thick of it with the High Holy Days. The shofar sounded to usher in the Jewish New Year, pebbles and bread and oats were thrown into flowing streams to cast away our mistakes, apples and honey, apple cakes, festive dinners, and so much more…
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Why Would Anyone Choose to Be Jewish Today?
Good Shabbos! I’ve addressed a lot of the why of choosing Judaism in some ways, mostly the emotional journey. I’ve also answered a quick FAQ about how this could/would impact my work as a UU minister (recap: it won’t). What I’ve not addressed, fully, is the deeper why. Specifically, the theological and teleological why’s. In…
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Welcome to the Tribe: Starve Yourself and Mourn
It’s the eve of my first holiday as a fully fledged Jew. I can’t wait! Bring out the decorations, the music, the special food, the joy of community, and… No. Wait. Don’t do any of that. In fact…don’t eat a thing for 25 hours and mourn. It’s Tisha B’Av (literally means: The Ninth of [the…
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A Story of 1.25 Diopters, or, How to Get Judaism into Focus
“Sooooo….it’s time to consider reading glasses or progressive lenses.” The younger-than-me Optometrist said with a smile. I love that more stories in my life involve people that are younger these days. I can see a future curmudgeon blossoming. I’ve been reading, a lot, all my life. It’s one of many tools I used to ensure…
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Tragedy Is But One Ingredient for Change
I’ll always remember seeing a Israeli Muslim doctor on TV a couple days after October 7th 2023. The fact that he was Muslim matters, since he was working in Israel in an Israeli hospital and talking about Jewish victims of the Hamas attack. My memory is hazy, but I believe he was a pathologist, which…
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Listen Up, You Who Struggle
שְׁמַע “Listen.” The first word of the Sh’ma, the statement of faith for Judaism. If I had my way, any faith statement would begin and end with that word. Listen. Just listen. In Hebrew, which I’ve come to love in ways I never expected, every letter and word offers doorways of endless meaning. “Sh’ma” doesn’t…
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Let’s Do the Time Warp Again: In the Beginning
בְּרֵאשִׁית, Bereshit, “In the beginning…” Not really. But let’s do a little time warp here. It’s just a jump to the left and then a step to the right. It’s 1984 and I’m born. It’s one of those years with an accompanying vibe that is not lost on me in 2025. How Orwellian can it…
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Ritual Immersion for People Terrified of Water
I’m terrified of water. Okay, let’s narrow that down. You will never see me enthusiastically get on a boat, travel the ocean, or journey down a river. Murky lakes and ponds are out of the question, too. If I can see the shoreline, that helps reduce the anxiety. Oh, yeah, I’ve not been in a…
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The View from the Mountaintop
Hineini, “Here I am.” I begin this journey at the end of another journey, but really, it’s all a journey in progress. I’ve let go of the illusion there’s ever a single destination in life. This one, though, is monumental. Some will characterize it as a shift in perspective, worldview, and then some. I would…