Monthly Archives: April 2012

I often say that Judaism is the “art of unreasonable optimism”.  By that I mean that Tshuva,  radical transformation and growth, rather than merely minimal course corrections, is always within our grasp.

As a rabbi, I often find that the best way I can help someone in their spiritual explorations is to try very hard to not place any obstacles in their way.  The most common mistake, I find, is pushing someone … Continue reading →

We often speak of Tshuvah, returning, as if it’s no big deal, easy to do.  Exclude another “weekday” activity on Shabbat, restrict our diets a little more.  Donate more money to your synagogue or Jewish school.  We’re happy, God’s happy … Continue reading →

Within the first several weeks between Pesach and Shavuot, during Sefira, the counting of the Omer, we encounter four, recently-established special days, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Fallen Soldiers Remembrance Day and Israel’s Independence Day and Jerusalem Liberation Day.  These come in … Continue reading →

This year is unusual in that the eighth day here in the diaspora falls on Shabbat.  For the next number of weeks, our weekly Torah reading will be out of sync with that in Israel where this upcoming Shabbat will … Continue reading →

It’s been more than three millennia since we left Egypt and, presumably, exited slave consciousness.  It’s now more than six decades since the State of Israel was established in the modern world.  The irony, really the tragedy, is that while … Continue reading →