Fruit in Israel is different than the fruit we are used to in Western New York.  Instead of apples and oranges, there are thick, yellow pomelos that look from the outside like giant grapefruits, but inside are sweet and juicy. …

Synagogues of the past had clear hierarchies.  The wealthy and the powerful had assigned seats up front, everyone else were relegated to the back.  I felt this growing up, as our Jewish community in Philadelphia often made those who didn’t…

Holiness in Judaism is ephemeral – a wisp of a moment, fleeting, but full of love and life.  We find it around our Shabbat tables, glowing with the candles, singing with our High Holy Day choir.  No one can have…

I learned a new Yiddish expression this week – Guzente Tzurus or good or healthy troubles.  Not all troubles are equal, some, like the ones that arise from getting ready for happy occasions or in preparation to overcome adversity, are…

One of my favorite memories of our CSS Passover Second Night Seders, was when our youngest child, Noam, recited the “Mah Nishtanah” in front of the whole community.  He was three-years-old and we had been prepping him for weeks, but…